Disclaimer: The following are the thoughts of Ms. Nikeeta, and ForensicMCQ didn’t give her any sort of award or promise of money for writing it.
Tell Us About Yourself
I’m Nikeeta Tanwar, and I live in Hisar, Haryana. I had completed my graduation from D.N. College, Hisar, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biotechnology. I had done my Postgraduation in Forensic science from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra.
I also worked as a trainee in the DNA division at Haryana Forensic Science Laboratory, Madhuban, Karnal.
- Exam Cleared: February 2023 NTA UGC NET Forensic Science
Is it your first attempt?
This was my 3rd attempt.
I had my 1st attempt in 2021 and the next in Oct 2022. In my 1st attempt, I lacked in paper 1 and didn’t have an idea about the same. Then on 2nd attempt, I got just 1 mark less than the cutoff for NET. And finally, on 3rd attempt, I qualified as Assitant Professor and scored 178/300.
But I did not consider my first two attempts as a failure as I believe… “Haar to wo sabak he jo aapko behtar hone ka moka degi.“
How long have you been preparing for the exam?
I started preparing for the exam when there were just 23 days left for the exam on 21st Feb 2023.
Have you joined any coaching programs?
No, I don’t seek any coaching classes. I used to follow a few youtube channels and some websites.
In my opinion, there are just things that one needs to clear the exam – HARDWORK, REGULARITY, and REVISION.
If you are determined enough for studies, you can get free study material and video lectures on youtube and that is more than enough. This is not mandatory, I am just explaining my point of view. You should push yourself, as nobody else is going to do it for you.
How did you plan your study?
I used to wake up at around 5 to 5:30 a.m. in the morning. In the morning and in the afternoon, I used to study new topics and at night, before going to bed I used to revise all the topics I had studied the whole day.
How did you balance your preparation for the UGC NET exam with other areas of life, such as work or personal life?
Balancing your exam preparation with your work and personal life is of immense importance. Although I have had a smooth journey, there were hard times too.
When my mother fell ill, there was nobody to take care of the family and my mother as well. Then I had to take responsibility for my family. Along with preparing for my exam, I had to do all the home chores and take care of my mother also.
These were the times when I faced difficulty in studying for the exam and I opt for late-night studies. But somehow I managed as I did not want to make my mother’s health a reason for not clearing the exam so I tried my level best and I cleared the exam this time.” Difficulties bhi bhot jroori he kyuki agr ye nhi hongi to success bhi itni mjedar nhi lgegi”.
What resources, such as textbooks or online resources did you find most useful during your preparation?
No, I would not suggest any particular book for this exam and I myself did not follow any book. As I told you earlier, I just used to follow a few youtube channels and websites.
How did you approach studying the various topics within paper 1 and paper 2?
I used to follow a Youtube channel named …Commerce Net Achievers for Paper 1. It is more than enough for paper 1.
And for paper 2, I referred to Epg Pathshala modules and ForensicMCQ.com for the previous year’s questions.
How does ForensicMCQ.com help in your preparation?
ForensicMCQ.com helped me a lot in preparing for the exam. It has a lot of questions for practice and boosts up your preparation. There are the previous year’s question papers also which I had solved many times to check my preparations and there are mock tests also which help you to know whether you are going in the right direction or not. ForensicMCQ helped me to walk on the right path to reach the door of success.
Can you describe any specific study techniques or strategies that you found particularly effective in preparation?
I used to learn concepts by writing them and making notes of my own after reading and understanding them. By writing it becomes quite easy to remember the concepts, you will not easily forget those concepts that you had once written. And also revise things repeatedly. Don’t study until you get it right, study until you can’t get it wrong.
Is there anything you would have done differently in your preparation for the UGC NET exam? If so, what and why?
In my first attempt, I didn’t have a study plan or strategy. I had taken so much time in completing
the syllabus only, and at last, I am left with no time to revise the syllabus.
I think this was a mistake that I had then. So, you have to work hard and work smart too. This time I did not study in chronological order rather I focused more on solving questions and revising the
complete the syllabus two to three times before the exam.
But I am not at all satisfied with my performance in the exam as I can’t able to achieve JRF this time also, I think I didn’t give proper time to my studies and should work more in balancing my exam preparations and my personal life.
I made a promise to myself that I will not let this happen again.
What steps did you take to minimize stress while preparing for the exam?
Do not take your studies as a burden rather you should enjoy your studies. This would lead you to zero stress. I used to connect with my family and friends and sometimes listening to music would also help reduce stress.
So what you’re future plans?
I will surely not take a rest or stop working hard after my 1st achievement because as said by Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam if I fail in the second, many lips are waiting to say that my 1st achievement was my luck.
I want to join as an Assistant professor in an institution on a regular basis as I wanted to start my teaching career. And I will also prepare to achieve JRF in the next attempt which is probably in June 2023.