[We have had Padmini Baruah (Rank 1 – CLAT 2011) & Pallavi Panigrahi (Rank 2 – CLAT 2012) give out their valuable words of motivation and wisdom for the CLAT that followed theirs. Following suit, we requested Dhruva Gandhi to do the honours this year. Apart from being a dear CG kid who made us happy about all our work with the mock tests, compendiums etc., Dhruva has put his name on the top of the CLAT 2013 Ranklist, by virtue of which he made it to the Batch of 2018 at National Law School of India University, Bangalore.]
It was around this time of the year last year that the board examinations were out of the way and the day for CLAT was drawing closer. Mocks, newspapers and doubt solving sessions would usually consume the entire day. The month of April breezed by and towards the end of the month I was appearing for AILET. The paper was tough and my spirits were a little low that evening. An IPL match, a good dinner with family……and thus began the countdown for CLAT.
Most of you reading this article will go through a similar sort of drill. (Some may not give the AILET and some may also give the SET). While there may not be a fixed way to go about this drill, a few words of advice may be of some assistance.
First, follow your own method of studying and stick to it religiously. Discipline can go a long way in helping one crack the exam.
Second, get adequate rest and do not panic. Stress does not do any good before a crucial exam and a clear mind is essential for all the analytical and critical thinking that shall be required of you over the next month and a half. A good night’s sleep, regular intervals while studying and constant re-invigoration of one’s spirits are necessary. It is pertinent to mention at this point that there is no fixed amount of time that needs to be devoted to preparing for the exam. Assess where you stand in terms of your strengths and weaknesses and plan accordingly. Set targets for yourself for the mocks you take and constantly revise general knowledge. Do not fall out of touch with any particular section, though. Solving a few problems of reasoning, maths and legal analysis everyday can be a good practice to have.
Now that the advice regarding the preparation is out of the way, it is noteworthy to speak briefly about the attitude that one may want to have. Do not be complacent and think you have done enough if your preparation is on course. Do not think you are doomed if the same is scattered all over. Many of those who have made it to law school have started their preparations at this time of the year. It can be done. It can also be undone. Many who have worked diligently throughout the year have managed to throw it all away towards the fag end. Be patient. Do not get anxious. CLAT is neither the end of the world nor is it the gateway to any sort of paradise. Equanimity and a stable mind are highly called for.
Enjoy the process, work regularly, stay positive and you can do just fine. All the Best.
P.S. Asad asked me to write this article because some aspirants were sending him panic mails. For those who sent these mails, the most important piece of advice is here: DO NOT PANIC. It does no good, whatsoever. While some may that it is easier said than done, the fact remains that it can be done without getting nervous and have panic attacks. Use the comments’ section below if you have any specific queries or questions for me. I’ll try to reply to them as and when possible. Once again, All the best!
When I start panicking, I start studying.
i can relate!
Please tell us how not to panic.
Thanks a lot Dhruva for ur kind words. Fingers crossed. Hope everything goes well. 🙂
dhruv , could u please tell me how u manage to study each subject in a day?
and tell me how u do not panic during preparation? 🙁
please 🙂
Hi, could you please tell you when you started studying? I mean when did you resume your CLAT prep after the boards ended? Also, if you could briefly tell us your routine? Thank you
hey,first of all congrats bro!!i neither have panic problem nor i do get anxious,presumably knowing that its just the beginning not the end….but am lacking study material now…ive begin preparing for a year or so now and now am seriously lacking gud material..so can u suggest some material especcialy for practice…
It’s easy to not panic when your exams are out of the way. I still have two papers left and they end on April 16th. Not to mention, they are both difficult.
I’d really appreciate it if you could tell me which order you attempted the various sections in. I’m particularly interested in time management, and which section you kept for the end and why.
A small word of advice I can give you- don’t think too much about the outcome. Concentrate on what you do. I know this is easier said than done, but, all of us have been there and done that! 🙂 And, importantly, don’t think too much about the cut-0ff etc. The only thing which matters is that you should put in your best efforts. If you do that, you will definitely get what you aspire for 🙂
Also, if you have any doubts, please get them clarified. Bug your coaching classes as much as you like! If they can’t solve your query, ask SOMEONE. All the best, may the force be with you 🙂
One thing- as much as you may hate your preparation, once CLAT is over, you will reminisce those CLAT-prep days. Like I do 🙂
hope it goes like that 🙂
It will, dont worry! All the best 🙂
^My unsolicited advice, if I may add 😛
How important a role do coaching classes play?
^I personally think coaching classes play a very important role in streamlining your preparation. Their structured approach, regular mock tests etc. will ensure that the student knows his/her strengths and weaknesses. That said, there’s nothing to stop anyone from making the cut even if s/he doesn’t take coaching!
This makes me feel so much more better coz I am not in the position of taking coaching classes (just one of the disadvantages of boarding schools). Can you tell me how to manage my school work along with CLAT prep? Coz right now it is a really tedious job.. Any suggestions to make it easier?
Take a correspondence course. And a crash course once your Boards are done
hello sir,
Could u please tell us how u managed to study the subjects for clat including gk…etc.. ?? Sir,
I’m a 10+2 student… commerce stream.. I’m going to write the clat exam of year 2015.. Is one year preparations enough..?? how many should i study in a day.. ??
I request u humbly to kindly help me with these… and congratulations sir for being the first in clat 2013.
Regards
Ajay
Dude u making me feel anxious ! The sentence where you said about throwing away at the fag end. I started my revision in april and i feel i have wasted a week time. So apprehensible doubts are coming up in my mind !
Hi
This is for my son who is preparing for CLAT ’16. He has taken Commerce. Could you please tell which is the good correspondence course for CLAT? Thanks.
hello, firstly congrats to all rank holders,great job!!!….uhhm, the problem is i recently came across the list of rank holders (that includes dhruva gandhi-2013,anhad miglani-2012,etc) in some of the brochures of different CLAT coaching institutes who claim that these toppers are trained under them.So,this stints for publicity may even mislead a career-focused student.So,how do i make correct choices regarding the coaching??…and would somebody be kind enough to specify,where exactly were these toppers were guided??
-Neeharika.N.
could you give your GK websites for CLAT preparation?
I am having a few time management issues where I cannot prioritise between CLAT and my board exams. I tend to mess up the preparation of both while juggling them.