‘It’s okay to be distracted sometimes but don’t forget your goal’: JEE 2023 achiever 

Shobhit Raj, a student of Apeejay School, Noida, recalls how he used to watch his elder sister do coding. “I would sit with my sister, who works in the field of Computer Science, and learn a few things from her. I was fascinated with coding. I realised I wanted to pursue a career in the same field.” Taking a step forward towards achieving his dream, Shobhit has made everyone proud by cracking JEE Advanced 2023 with a score of 173 out of 360.

The Apeejay student, whose father and uncle are electrical engineers, aims to pursue Computer Science or Artificial Intelligence (AI). “Based on the counselling, I am eligible for IIT Jodhpur, IIT Patna, and IIT Mandi in these branches. In other branches of engineering, I am eligible in the higher IITs.”

Despite his deep interest in the subject, preparing for a tough competitive exam like JEE Advanced was definitely not easy, Shobhit acknowledges. “This was a long journey and there were times when I would get distracted. It was not possible to study all the time. But towards the end, I reminded myself of my goal and that JEE Advanced would be my final chance. So, I geared up and studied very hard to crack the exam.

“It is normal to get distracted, so aspirants should not feel guilty about that. You cannot be 100 per cent efficient at all times. There will be highs and lows and don’t forget your goal. That’s what will keep you going.”

There were challenges along the way, but what kept him going was the support from his parents and teachers. “There were times when I scored poorly in mock tests, but my teachers and parents supported me and told me to not lose hope. Their constant guidance and appreciation helped me overcome any negative thoughts.”

Now that exams are over, the passionate student is “exploring and researching” by reading up and watching interesting content related to AI and other developments in the field as he waits for the counselling process. “I am watching videos on game development now. I am excited to start my new journey,” he shares.