Disclaimer: The following are the thoughts of Ms. Ikshika, and ForensicMCQ didn’t give her any sort of award or promise of money for writing it.
Tell Us about yourself
I’m Ikshika Sharely, and I live in Solan, Himachal Pradesh. I graduated from St. Bede’s, Shimla, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Botany as my major subject. I have done my post-graduation in Forensic Science and Criminology from Panjab University in Chandigarh. I also cleared FACT Biological Science in March 2022.
- Exam Cleared: October 2022 NTA UGC NET and JRF
Is it your first attempt?
This was my second attempt.
I gave my last exam in November 2021. When I chose this field, I knew I’d stick with it until the end.
The first attempt was purely raw and I wanted to see the pattern of the paper. I did a study, but I lacked in paper 1 and didn’t have an utter idea about it.
While preparing for my second attempt, I promise myself to give my 100%.
How long have you been preparing for this Forensic NET/JRF exam?
I started my preparation last year in the winter of December 2021.
Have you joined any coaching programs? Did you recommend others to join one?
No, I didn’t join any coaching classes. I did follow a few channels and books.
When it comes to clearing UGC NET/ JRF, I feel like a dedicated self-study of 6 months is sufficient enough to clear the exam.
In my opinion, self-dedication and hardwork are enough and you don’t need coaching classes.
How was your ideal day when you were preparing for the exam?
I woke up at around 5:30 to 6 am in the morning and used to revise my previous day’s topics. I gave equal time to Paper 1 and Paper 2. I divided my day into 3 sessions and completed my topics daily.
Are you able to follow your schedule regularly? What problem did you face?
I tried to follow my routine almost every day, but there were hard days too. I used to get tired of the monotonous routine, so I made sure to take little breaks as and when required.
The real frustration came when the exam date was uncertain and keep getting postponed. But I didn’t let myself lose hope, rather I saw it as an opportunity to study more for my exam, thus helping me keep my calm.
Do you study the whole day or night? Is it boring?
I’ve always been a morning person, which always worked in my favor. It varies for everyone though. I used the morning time for my revision.
It used to get boring at times, but then I would opt to switch my methods of studying, sometimes I would study interesting topics to keep my interest.
Sometimes I would act like a teacher and pretend I’m teaching students. That’s funny, but it really helped me clear my concepts and gain confidence in what I studied.
What motivates you when you feel low while preparing?
My goal has always been a motivation for me. I always wanted to pursue Ph.D. ever since I entered this field.
I come from a teaching background, with both of my parents being teachers, which always fascinated me. My parents uplifted me a lot when I felt low.
They always had my back and supported me. And this worked as therapy for me. I also meditated each morning helping me relieve my anxiety and stress.
Did you feel any stress or relief when NTA changes the Forensic exam date? Is it tempting to lose focus on those days?
I did feel stressed when NTA kept changing dates, but I saw it as an opportunity to study harder; in fact, I studied more during those times.
The uncertainty was a problem, but I had nothing to lose. I could either cry or work hard, and I chose to work hard and give my all, which worked in my favor.
You do lose focus in these hard times, but a delay is never a denial; you simply need to be persistent toward your goal.
Which books did you read for the preparation of paper 1 and paper 2?
For Paper 1, I studied entirely from YouTube. I followed Bharat Kumar sir for initial topics like teaching and research aptitude, communication, Indian logic, etc. For ICT and People environment, I followed Net JRF with Aditi, and for Maths, I followed Talveer sir.
For Paper 2, I studied from Savvy Forensics, Bakwass tutor had very few topics, but were well explained, for instrumentation I studied from Baayos. All of these YouTube channels gave a variety of useful content.
Which Online sources help you in clearing Forensic NTA UGC JRF?
A very important thing we need to do is keep our Paper 1 strong, and I make sure to focus on it while preparing this time.
I studied my Paper 1 completely from YouTube channels – Bharat Kumar Sir is the best educator by far, NET-JRF with Aditi also helped with detailed topics and for Maths, I followed Talveer sir.
For Paper 2, I studied from Review of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology by Gautam Biswas, and Forensic Biology by Richard Li. I also referred to some topics from EPG pathshala.
And before solving the previous year’s questions it is a must. It helps you get an idea of the topics that are repetitive, thus helping you know which topic to focus on m
How did forensicmcq.com help you with your JRF?
Forensicmcq.com has been a savior for forensic science students, especially me, you get all the question papers with complete explanations here. Moreover, various mock tests are available to check your knowledge, this helped me a lot.
In addition, all the topics are sorted and systematically arranged to help you analyze your knowledge.
I’d recommend this site to all the students studying for Forensic Science exams.
One key thing that helps you in cracking NET JRF?
It’s rightly said that “consistency is what transforms average into excellence.” For me, consistently and regularly working toward my goal each day helped to clear the exam.