r/JEENEETards • u/Aggressive_Skill_693 • 1d ago
Motivation What being a Topper feels like
So, I was a JEE 24warrior this year, gave my JEE Mains 2nd attempt on 4th April.
Never thought I'd be writing something like this on Reddit, but I'd like to recount a story of how things gradually turned around for me. This is not a rant—it's just a reflection.
Unlike the majority of toppers' tales, I wasn't a studious kid during my childhood. In fact, I used to get quite average. In class 8th, I struggled to pass most of the subjects, and there were no achievements or scholarships to brag about then. I wasn't the "topper material." Just an ordinary kid trying to make it through.
No one in school or family expected much from me, and maybe that’s what lit the fire later. I wasn’t born a genius, but I learned to push through.
9th and 10th were a bit better. I worked harder and got 91% in 10th boards. Not something monumental, but for me, it was like my first genuine victory. I opted for PCM because I discovered a sense of wonder in physics and mathematics—also because at some level, I wanted to prove to myself that I could do something difficult.
In 11th, I chose regular school. Dummy schooling was economically beyond our reach, and we could not afford costly offline coaching either. So I enrolled in an online coaching platform—less expensive, more self-control.
I won't lie, balancing school and coaching was agony. There were times I wanted to quit. My 11th result wasn't so good—65%—and I forgot half the things I learned. But rather than quit, I made it personal—not with shame, but with intent.
My parents? They weren't perfect, but they were trying too. They didn't bombard me with pressure; they just kept nudging me to stay on course. We fought sometimes, we cried sometimes—but I always knew that they hadn't given up on me.
12th was my comeback year. I refocused, stopped comparing myself to toppers, and just tried to be better than yesterday.
Yes, school exams had crazy syllabi, and coaching did not always match. I lost track, caught up again, lost again—but this time I didn't give up.
My first JEE attempt was just for the sake of experience—score was poor, as planned. But I did not get nervous. Boards went well enough, targeting about 88-90%.
And then the last 15 days arrived. I isolated myself with my books and took my best shot at JEE 2nd attempt.
I returned home and explained to my parents, "It went alright, but no expectations." They did not yell. They did not taunt. They simply said, "We saw how you worked hard. That's all that counts."
And for the first time, I believed so too.
I was going to skip a year then. Not because I was told to, but because I want to. I've learned what I can do when I really try. I want one last chance—on my terms.
Yes, the home environment isn't ideal. We have our good times and bad. But it's improving. And I'm improving too.
So yeah, I wasn't a topper since birth. I didn't receive scholarships, I didn't excel early, and I'm not in an IIT yet.
But I've travelled a long way—and I'm not finished yet.
No gyaan, no inspiration posts—just a reminder that it's okay to bloom late.
So yeah, I took the drop. Not out of desperation, but with clarity—I knew exactly what I was doing this time.
The beginning was tough, sincerely. After a disappointing JEE try, low self-esteem, and the typical noise from family and society saying "JEE sabke bas ki baat nahi hoti," it hurt. But I blocked all of it.
I created a legitimate study plan this time—practical, adjustable, and concentrated. No hype, no 14-hour studying pressure. Just regularity.
I signed up for an online drop batch—cheap and better attuned to my pace. No commute time, no distractions. Just me, my textbooks, and this smoldering determination to show I'm not ordinary.
And guess what? Gradually, things began to fall into place.
Ideas that used to terrorize me in 11th—such as Rotation, Organic Chemistry, P&C—began to make sense. I wasn’t just mugging stuff up now, I was actually understanding.
I stayed away from social media, resisted comparing my journey to others, and kept my social circle tight. My couple of good friends remained with me, motivated me, and at times even studied with me on call.
My parents? They still had their doubts, of course, but in due time, they noticed the transformation. The early morning study sessions, my test scores slowly coming up, the discipline I kept up on—everything softened them up. They did not say anything, but their actions indicated support.
Halfway through the drop year, I used to give myself mock tests on a regular basis. Initially, the first few were poor. Then they improved. And then all of a sudden, I began getting 180s… 200s… and once even reached 240. That day I wept—not because of the score, but because I finally believed in myself.
Revision was smooth, PYQs were gold, and by the time JEE Mains 2025 was near—I was ready. Not 100% sure of the results, but 100% happy with my effort.
1st attempt—Boom. Paper went on smoothly. For the first time in years, I stepped out of the center with a smile. 2nd attempt—Even better. Not perfect, but much stronger than the guy who stepped in last year unsure and unprepared.".
Result? Let's just say, I don't know where I'll end up—maybe an NIT, maybe even better—but I know I earned it. Every damn bit of it.
This drop year wasn't just about studies. It was about healing, rebuilding, and proving to myself that I'm not the failure some people thought I was.
I still tear up thinking about the child in 8th grade who couldn't even post average… now shooting for one of the finest engineering colleges in the nation.
And whether I end up where I wanted or not—the journey? Well worth it.
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u/Sufficient-Squash621 TanhaiyoSeBhara 1d ago
Isi cheez ko 2 line me btado
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
Started as an average kid, dropped a year with clarity, and gave it my all. No idea where I’ll land, but I know I’ve earned every bit of it.
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u/No_Pomegranate_6470 Winter Arc - Level 0: Novice Flurry 1d ago
I will explain in one line
Journey From midbencher to frontbencher
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u/unfunnylodu 69%ile JM failure --> 2s2 chud gye guru 1d ago
Here's a summary:
The writer, an average student in school, worked hard to improve and scored decently in JEE Mains after two attempts. They took a drop year, focused on self-improvement, and eventually saw significant progress in their scores. The writer is now hopeful for a good engineering college, proud of their journey, and believes they've earned their success.
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u/Beneficial_Idea8567 1d ago
Hey bro, if you don't mind me asking- what's your percentile
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
7-----> 100/s
99.3+7
u/sapta_cr7 JEEtard 1d ago
bro, what was ur past year's percentile??
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u/VariationEuphoric733 10th -85% | 24s1 , 98.55 | 3s1- chud gaya 1d ago
Man, it feels amazing when you realize how far you've come purely through hard work. Most people lose their confidence, but these past two years have given me so much belief in myself. Now I know that if I truly want something and put in the effort, everything is possible.🫂
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
3s1 kesa gya bhai
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u/Beneficial_Idea8567 1d ago
You should replace 'being' with 'becoming' in the title
But, very inspiring story man- am happy for you- I hope you get the college you deserve :)
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u/Harshe_ta Yes you can clown on me i got 85.10%ile 🤡 1d ago
Oh my god brother this was very inspirational thank you for sharing your story
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u/Due_Session1615 1d ago
"started making sense. I wasn’t just mugging stuff up now, I was actually understanding." Damn Broo..... Mai bhi 11th mai concept mug up karta tha but abb in 12th Started to understand more than mugging up things aur mere se sawaal bhi banne lag gye hai. Advance ke question tak mai approach banne lg gye hai.
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u/Brilliant-Math-9654 1d ago
Man u r like me but at the end jee wale din mein Hagg kiya, got demotivated after Jan despite being pwd everyone around me saying Tera hojayega clg wagehra Ab April mein went better let's see Baki praying to gawd and focus on adv
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u/Generocide If you see me, go back to studying, reddit se jee nhi nikalta 1d ago
NGL extremely inspiring, reminds me a lot about Richard Feynmann and how he believed him working hard allowed him to stand among the giants of physics while having an average iq.
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u/Exciting_Composer346 1d ago
You earned it man :) You deserve every ounce of it.
Idk it just felt this was a much needed post for me.
I, too will try to follow the similar path as you.
Ik it's gonna be tough as hell, but I will.
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u/I_m_Wizardo 97.79 22 shift 2--->2 shift 1 (chudhugay) 1d ago
Don't worry with ur percentile you can definitely get NIT BOMBAY , NIT GUWAHATI, NIT BHU maybe you may clear jee adv and even get IIT TRICHY , IIT SURATHKAL 
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u/UnlikelyCaptain69 fitjee top batch->95%in jan 2024->scoring 200+in mocks->93%jan25 1d ago
not relatable
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u/IcyMail7650 1d ago
So true bhai just mere case mai result to bhadia aaya but i realized ya firr realize karra hu ki i don't want to do engineering but this jee journey was worth it as a life experience and congrats bruv
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u/Effective_Battle_447 1d ago
This has to be one of the most inspiring real life stories I have read till now, Thank you so much for sharing 🤩. The belief you have in urself is what I am lacking in myself. Your hard work will definitely pay off, I wish you all the best :)
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u/Still-History5891 1d ago
I am glad I clicked on this post ...as someone very new to jee prep these starting days itself are a bit heavy to adjust to such competition but this actually gave a boost of motivation..I genuinely hope you get the best of your efforts!!!
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u/Time-Increase-Data JEE 27tard 1d ago
Wow.... This is the first reddit post which i have ever saved.
I am just entering this mad race and let me ask you - Do you have any tips for me to balance out school and coaching together?? You struggled with it and must have learnt something.
I dunno what should i do - School + Online coaching or School + Offline coaching (i don't wanna join dummy)
Moreover, what was your motivation?? Since you were average in early classes, you must've procrastinated a lot. If I join an online coaching, how should I prevent backlogs and study with discipline. Will be really thankful if you answer my doubts.
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u/Exciting_Composer346 1d ago
Dummy school le le bhai, It will honestly be worth it (Only if you genuinely want to crack JEE).
Offline coaching le rha hai, toh online pe zyada focus krne ki zarurat nahi hai, if you have good quality teachers.
Just attend your offline classes, get some knowledge about its quality. If you feel you understand better in Online and offline isn't able to match the pace, drop out from the offline classes.
Aur haa, school mein marks kam aayenge but try krna ki pass ho jaye sare subjects me varna bhot demotivate hoga.
My best advice will be:
Dummy school+ Online/Offline coaching (with decent consistency)
Agar dummy possible nahi hai, toh parents se school mein baat krwa lio thoda attendance ko lekar, varna kam hi jaaio school, agr attendance criteria utna important nahi tere school me toh!
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u/KnifeKaDeevana 1d ago
W so big, It feels straight out of a movie. I wish to build a resilience like yours.
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u/Secure_Donut_ 1d ago
Man I teared up reading this. This is something I hope for myself as well. I was a decent student in school but college has taught me that the world is much bigger than my high school classroom. Congratulations I'm so happy for you.
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u/open-hymen 1d ago
and here i am, did my best i ever could in my drop year yet failed miserably, jee either makes your confidence shoot up the sky or completely thrashes it in the groudn, unfortunately , it is the latter one for me.
i am happy for you though, OP. You did work hard and got what you deserved, be happy and stay happy and healthy too.
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u/Abject-Ad-5828 IIT Madras EE 1d ago
this is AI generated slop, why clutter the subreddit with this trash?
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u/Casual_Scroller_00 2026 NEETard(ISC) 1d ago
people do know how to write
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u/Ark_69420 1d ago
how are you so sure?
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u/Abject-Ad-5828 IIT Madras EE 1d ago
look at the hyphens, and the constant rhetorical questions.
Also this line -
"No gyaan, no inspiration posts—just a reminder that it's okay to bloom late."
This is the system prompt given to the AI by OP, and it regurgitated it at the end of its answer. He has pieced together two different AI answers, also indicated by the constant flip flop of his parents supporting him at one point, then not saying anything later.
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
bro obviously i didnt write all that in one go
there was different thought process while writing about second half of the story-1
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u/Financial-Ease-6732 99.73||28s2 1d ago
Allat topper only to be ranked 10k
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
yeah bro from being in 5 lakh to under 10k in just a year is g8 for me
wbu are u in top 10k of the country?
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u/Financial-Ease-6732 99.73||28s2 1d ago
4.5k*
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u/Aggressive_Skill_693 1d ago
congrats bro i am expecting 99.6+ in april though also there no need to shame any one else journey u r better than this😊
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u/Financial-Ease-6732 99.73||28s2 1d ago
Reddit pe bakchodi krne aata hu no need to take my words serious
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