4 Secret Strategies I Used to Get Into IIT Bombay (And They Can Help You Too!)

Summary

In this video, Sunny shares four unconventional study strategies that helped him get into IIT Bombay. The first strategy is 'QTN KM,' a diary for emotionally engaging with challenging questions. The second is using flashcards for memorization through repetition. The third strategy involves creating 'solution manuals' for a deeper understanding of concepts. Lastly, 'nonlinear notes' in the form of mind maps are introduced for efficient revision. These strategies aim to make studying more effective and personalized.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Success in competitive exams is not just about hard work, but also about smart strategies and emotional investment in learning.
• 📔 The 'QTN KM' (Questions That Nearly Killed Me) strategy involves deeply engaging with challenging questions to form an emotional connection and better retention.
• 🔍 Utilizing online resources and reaching out to experts for solutions can be a game-changer for understanding difficult concepts.
• 🃏 Flashcards are an effective tool for memorization, especially when information is presented in different forms like jokes or diagrams.
• 🧩 Solution manuals help in developing both intuition and intellect by writing out detailed explanations for solved problems.
• 📚 Nonlinear notes, such as mind maps, can improve the efficiency of studying and revising by making information more accessible and less time-consuming.
• 🤝 Emotional investment in studying, like taking a tough question personally, can enhance memory and understanding.
• 🔑 Repetition and varied presentation of information are key for memorization, especially when emotional connection is lacking.
• 🎯 Balancing the use of intuition and intellect is crucial for accuracy and speed in competitive exams.
• 🏆 Unconventional study strategies can provide a distinct edge and make the preparation process more engaging and effective.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind the video?

The main idea of the video is to introduce unconventional strategies for exam preparation that can give students a distinct edge, emphasizing the importance of smart studying over merely hard studying.

What is the significance of the acronym 'QTN KM' mentioned in the video?

QTN KM stands for 'Questions That Nearly Killed Me,' which is a diary concept used to emotionally engage with difficult questions during exam preparation, enhancing memory retention.

How does the video suggest developing an emotional connection with study materials?

The video suggests developing an emotional connection by taking difficult questions personally, researching their solutions extensively, and treating the process like a detective's quest, which makes the information valuable and memorable.

What role does the internet play in the strategies discussed in the video?

The internet is portrayed as a valuable resource for finding detailed solutions to tough questions, reaching out to experts, and enhancing learning through platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and educational websites.

Why are flashcards recommended in the video for memorization?

Flashcards are recommended for memorization because they facilitate repetition, which is key for remembering information when an emotional connection is lacking, and they can be creatively formatted to aid recall.

What is the purpose of creating jokes while studying, as mentioned in the video?

Creating jokes while studying serves to add an emotional value to the information, making it easier to remember by associating the learning with humor and laughter.

How does the video define the difference between intellect and intuition in exam preparation?

Intellect is described as a slow but accurate approach to solving problems, while intuition is fast but less accurate. The video suggests balancing both for optimal exam performance.

What is the significance of 'solution manuals' in the video's strategies?

Solution manuals are detailed, subjective explanations of answers to exam questions, which help strengthen intellect by ensuring a deep understanding of concepts, beyond just intuitively knowing the right answer.

Why are nonlinear notes or mind maps advocated in the video?

Nonlinear notes or mind maps are advocated for their efficiency in quickly accessing information, reducing reliance on grammar and unnecessary words, and making the revision process faster and more effective.

How does the video suggest using the strategy of 'QTN KM' during exam preparation?

The video suggests using the 'QTN KM' strategy by maintaining a diary of difficult questions, researching their solutions, and writing them down to create an emotional investment, which aids in memorization.

What is the video's stance on the traditional linear note-taking method?

The video critiques traditional linear note-taking for being time-consuming, less effective for quick information retrieval, and for potentially promoting passive copying from textbooks without deep understanding.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Unconventional Study Strategies for Exam Success

The speaker, Sunny, introduces the concept that exam success is not solely about hard work but also about smart work. Sunny shares four unconventional strategies that helped them get into IIT Bombay. The first strategy, 'QTN KM', involves creating a diary to emotionally connect with challenging questions, which aids in better memory retention. Sunny emphasizes the importance of finding detailed solutions to tough questions, even reaching out to university professors for help, and using the internet as a resource. This approach not only helps in solving difficult problems but also in developing a deeper understanding of the concepts involved.

05:00

🔍 Developing Emotional Connections and Repetition for Learning

The second strategy discussed is the use of flashcards for memorization through repetition. Sunny explains that when emotional investment is lacking, repetition can be an effective method for remembering information. Flashcards can be created in various forms, such as bullet points, jokes, or diagrams, to cater to different learning styles. Sunny also shares a personal anecdote about using humor to remember the concept of 'milk of magnesia' in organic chemistry, illustrating how humor can create an emotional value that aids memory. The third strategy involves balancing intuition and intellect during exam preparation, with the speaker suggesting a mix of both for optimal performance.

10:01

📝 Solution Manuals and the Importance of Detailed Explanations

Sunny's third strategy is creating solution manuals for practice tests, where they would write out detailed, step-by-step solutions as if explaining to a five-year-old. This method strengthens the understanding of concepts and improves the ability to articulate them clearly. The speaker provides an example of how they meticulously wrote out solutions, including diagrams and step-by-step explanations, which not only helped in reinforcing their own knowledge but also prepared them for the objective nature of competitive exams.

15:03

🗺️ Nonlinear Note-Taking with Mind Maps for Efficient Revision

The final strategy introduced is the use of nonlinear notes in the form of mind maps, which contrasts with traditional linear note-taking. Sunny points out the drawbacks of linear notes, such as excessive use of grammar and the need to search through pages when trying to recall a concept. Instead, mind maps allow for quick reference and easy revision, making them more efficient during exam preparation. The speaker shares examples of mind maps they created for organic chemistry and physics, highlighting how these maps cover entire chapters on a single page, making revision faster and more accessible.

Keywords

💡Strategy

In the context of the video, 'strategy' refers to the thoughtful planning and approach one takes to tackle competitive exams effectively. The video emphasizes that success is not merely about hard work but also about smart work, which involves the use of unconventional strategies to gain an edge over others. The speaker, Sunny, shares his personal strategies that he used during his preparation for IIT Bombay, highlighting the importance of emotional investment and intellectual understanding in the learning process.

💡QTN KM

QTN KM, which stands for 'Questions That Nearly Killed Me,' is a unique concept introduced by Sunny where he kept a diary of difficult questions he encountered during his exam preparation. This method is about emotionally investing in the questions that challenge him, which in turn helps in better retention and understanding of the concepts. The video illustrates how Sunny would personally engage with these questions, seeking solutions from various sources, including professors, to ensure a deep understanding.

💡Emotionally Invested

Being 'emotionally invested' in one's studies is a concept discussed in the video to explain how attaching an emotional value to the material being studied can enhance memory retention. Sunny suggests that when students are emotionally connected to what they are learning, their brains are more likely to store and recall that information. This concept is exemplified through the QTN KM diary, where difficult questions are treated with personal significance, leading to a deeper engagement with the subject matter.

💡Flashcards

Flashcards are mentioned as a tool for repetition-based learning, especially useful when emotional connection to the material is lacking. Sunny used flashcards to memorize information that was difficult to remember by creating them in various forms such as bullet points, jokes, or diagrams. This method aids in the retention of information through repeated exposure, which is a key aspect of effective study techniques discussed in the video.

💡Intellect vs. Intuition

The video differentiates between 'intellect' and 'intuition' in the context of exam preparation. Intellect refers to the conscious, analytical approach to understanding concepts, while intuition is the subconscious, instinctive ability to solve problems quickly. Sunny suggests that a balance between the two is crucial for success in competitive exams, where accuracy and speed are both important. He shares his method of strengthening both through the creation of solution manuals.

💡Solution Manuals

Solution manuals are detailed, subjective explanations of answers to exam questions that Sunny created as part of his preparation strategy. These manuals are designed to strengthen the intellect by forcing the creator to explain each step of the solution process in detail, as if teaching the concept to a young child. This method ensures a deep understanding of the material and helps in developing a strong analytical approach to problem-solving.

💡Nonlinear Notes

Nonlinear notes, as discussed in the video, refer to the use of mind maps and other non-sequential methods of note-taking that contrast with traditional linear note-taking styles. Sunny found that linear notes often contain unnecessary details and are not significantly different from textbooks. Nonlinear notes, on the other hand, are more concise, personalized, and visually accessible, making them more effective for quick revision and concept recall.

💡Mind Maps

Mind maps are a specific type of nonlinear note that Sunny used extensively during his revision phase. These visual diagrams organize information in a branching structure, allowing for quick and easy access to concepts. The video describes how mind maps can be used to cover entire chapters or topics on a single page, making them an efficient tool for reviewing large amounts of information in a short time.

💡Competitive Exams

Competitive exams are the focus of the video, as they are high-stakes assessments where students are ranked based on their performance. Sunny's strategies are tailored to excel in such exams, which often involve a large number of participants and require a deep understanding of the subject matter. The video provides insights into how to approach these exams by combining emotional engagement, repetition, and analytical skills.

💡Revision Phase

The 'revision phase' is a critical period in exam preparation where students review and consolidate their learning. The video highlights the importance of this phase and introduces strategies like nonlinear notes and mind maps to make revision more efficient. Sunny's use of these methods during his revision phase allowed him to quickly recall and understand complex concepts, which is essential for performing well in competitive exams.

Highlights

Success in competitive exams is not just about hard work but also about smart work.

Every topper understands the importance of strategy in their preparation.

It's not about cramming textbooks or solving endless questions but navigating through preparation smartly.

Strategy number one: QTnKM, a diary to develop an emotional connection with difficult questions.

Emotional investment in studying helps the brain store information more effectively.

When stuck on a question, take it personally and seek solutions like a detective.

Use the internet smartly to find solutions to tough questions.

Email professors or experts when you can't find solutions online.

Strategy number two: Flashcards for memorization through repetition.

Create flashcards in different forms like bullet points, jokes, or diagrams for better retention.

Strategy number three: Solution manuals to strengthen both intellect and intuition.

Write detailed solutions for every question as if explaining to a five-year-old.

Strategy number four: Nonlinear notes in the form of mind maps for efficient revision.

Mind maps reduce reliance on grammar and make notes more personal and effective.

Nonlinear notes allow for quick reference and prevent skipping questions during revision.

These unconventional strategies can give you a distinct edge in competitive exams.

Transcripts

millions of students participate in the

same competitive exam using the same

methods practicing the same way how do

you plan to beat millions of people

participating in the same competition

using the same techniques they are using

what if I tell you that your success

doesn't come from how hard you study but

how smart you study every topper that

you have ever heard of has something in

common they understand the importance of

strategy it's not about criming

textbooks or solving endless questions

it's about how you navigate through your

preparation smartly my name is sunny and

today on cinematic we'll dive into four

unconventional strategies that I used

during my preparation that got me into

IIT Bombay these strategies will give

you a distinct Edge in any kind of exam

you're going to appear in these are not

your regular steady tips they are

designed to break the mold and elevate

your performance in ways you might have

never ever heard before strategy number

one qtn km

it's an abbreviation to questions that

nearly killed me it's a diary that I

used to keep during my competitive exams

preparation I build this concept to

develop an emotional corner for the

questions that I'm solving see your

subconscious brain stores the

information only when you are

emotionally invested in it if you aren

emotionally invested in what you are

studying your brain won't store the

information no matter how hard you try

to memorize it your brain stores

something only when it senses a pure

relation between you and that

information

only then it treats that information as

valuable that's why you remember why

Rahul broke his bond with Niha in their

toxic relationship but won't remember

why carbon broke its bond with bromine

during hydrolysis and when I say

cleavage your mind is not even closed to

the cleavage of carbon carbon bond in

beta keto acid during decabox relation

that I'm talking about if I wasn't able

to solve a particular question I used to

take it very personally and then I used

to go on a side quest on the internet to

find the detailed solution to that

question and then I used to write the

detailed solution to that question in

this book while solving questions from

any textbook or any question paper if I

wasn't able to solve that question no

matter how hard I try it I used to

Circle that question then after getting

home I used to go on a side quest on the

internet maybe Kora Reddit or any other

website or any blog or maybe University

lectures on YouTube and then I used to

write my own detailed solution to that

question if I couldn't find the solution

or even hint that solution anywhere on

the internet I used to email University

professors and the reply that they used

to give me I used to solve or find

Solution on the internet based on those

Clues like a detective and it was quite

of a fun activity for me there were a

few instances when I couldn't find a

particular solution or I couldn't grasp

the conceptual problems uh from the book

concepts of physics by etma I used to

email professor ET VMA about the

question and he is so humble that he

used to reply each of my emails with the

particular solution or at least a hint

of it I'm not asking you to keep finding

Solutions on the internet instead of

solving it yourself it's about the

questions that are too tough or the

questions that even get sweat out of

your coaching teachers that's when you

go on the internet to find the solution

to those questions or maybe you come up

with such a good question that even if

you ask your coaching teacher about that

doubt about a particular conceptual

problem

and if that teacher is not able to solve

it or maybe your friends don't get it

and maybe it's a good question that's

when you actually email other professors

The World Is An Open Place once you

understand how to use the internet

smartly you will be able to find

anything on the internet no matter what

kind of solution you are going for trust

me Googling is a skill once you gain

this skill you will even be able to

monetize it in the future as a

researcher or as a copywriter after

finding the solution by any means let

that be on Kora or by mailing the writer

of that textbook I used to write a

detailed solution of that question in

this book UT and km to have a proper

understanding of that concept here you

can see a question that I've noted down

a sphere is just immersed in a liquid

find the ratio of hydrostatic force on

the bottom half and top half of the

sphere it's a cute little question but

it took me so long to find the solution

to this question I uh uploaded this

question on brilliant.org it's a website

that I used to go through uh couple of

times in a week to solve some practical

questions because this website has a lot

of fun engineering type questions on it

and I uploaded this question on that

website and after a couple of days

somebody wrote a good solution to that

question in short but then I again took

some hints from that question and I went

on the internet to find a proper

detailed explanation to that so here you

can see the detailed question and the

answer is five

five just to get a numerical value of

five this is the length of solution that

I had to go through the that's the

purpose of this book this book has cute

little questions that takes too long for

it to solve it also uh makes it clear

for me that uh if a question like this

appears in your main exam if it is J

Advanced and uh the question might

appear really little and you might uh

spend some time on it but uh then you'll

understand that you are not able to

solve it because the solution is very

lengthy so solving such questions uh in

this book makes it clear if I have to

skip such question in real exam or not

see there will be instances when the

question is very little and your brain

thinks that it will take less amount of

time to solve but compared to big ass

questions these cute little questions

will Ru your marks this entire side

quest for a single question used to

develop an emotional relation with the

concept that was dealt within the

question this would make my brain think

that the information consumed in this

little Voyage was important and valuable

making me remember it strategy 2 flash

cards if it's not emotion then it's

repetition if you don't have any emotion

Associated to the fact that you're

memorizing or the concept that you are

learning you can remember it through

repetition and that's through flashcards

if a certain piece of information was a

bit difficult for me to remember I used

to create a flash card about it writing

the information on that flash card in

different forms it could be in the form

of a set of bullet points in the form of

a joke or in the form of a diagram and

whenever I was done with the day

schedule I used to go through this flash

cards narrating whatever that was told

or just reading it and remember it this

repeated action of going through those

cards used to store that information

well in my head in organic chemistry is

the subject that I hated the most

because it requires you to memorize a

thousand things and that's the reason I

used to study this subject with the most

creative methods one among those methods

was writing jokes here's an example me

hey I want some milk farmer to his

servant give this guy some milk of

magnesia me bro I don't want a

suspension of magnesium hydroxide in

water I just want normal milk to drink

farmer magnesia is my cow's name the

joke might be very lame sometimes but

its purpose is not to make somebody

laugh but just to make it easier to

memorize that information in the form of

joke because it creates an emotional

value to it because you laugh at it as I

have told you before our subconscious

brain stores the information only when

it sees an emotional value in that

information or if it sees that that

particular information is valuable or

useful or practical in real life now

particularly memorizing the fact that

the suspension of magnesium hydroxide in

water is called as milk of magnesia

serves no purpose in real life for you

so hearing it in the form of a joke

stores that information permanently in

your head strategy number three solution

manuals the competitive exam you are

preparing for has an objective nature

the questions could be multiple choice

multiple correct match the following or

numerical value questions the problem is

this objective nature of that exam

triggers intuitive nature of your brain

to study for an exam we need both

intellect and intuition intellect

dissects things and understands that

concept to the depth you consciously

make efforts and solve things while on

the other hand intuition is the gut

failing and it solves things

unconsciously the tests you participate

in your coaching on a regular basis

which could be weekly create a strong

intuition but the lack of subjective

questions in those tests don't let your

intellect develop properly to understand

what what I mean focus on the instances

when you solve a question by marking the

option even if it turns out to be

correct if somebody asks you how you

solved it you won't be able to come up

with a solution or you won't be able to

write a subjective solution to that

question that's because most of the

solution was processed in your brain by

intuitive thoughts the main difference

between intellect and intuition is that

intuition does increase your speed but

it reduces your accuracy while intellect

is slow but it is very accurate so you

have to efficiently use the mixture of

intuition and intellect during the exam

such that you can solve the question

with maximum accuracy while maintaining

a good speed throughout the exam it is

like this equation N1 * intuition plus

ns2 * intellect should be always greater

than intellect or intuition where N1 +

N2 is equal to 1 I came up with this

equation randomly and it does make sense

to me now as I've explained the

objective nature of your test trigger

the intuition and intuition is made

strong through practice but what about

intellect how do you make it strong

during my preparation I came up with a

method of solution manuals every

Saturday our coaching used to conduct a

test on the current curriculum and right

after the test we used to get the answer

key so the remaining Saturday and Sunday

I used to solve those 90 questions

subjectively with proper detailed

answers in my solution manual books each

question with a proper explanation right

to the minute details as if I was

explaining the solution to a 5-year-old

as they say if you can't explain a

concept to a 5-year-old you don't

understand it well enough these are the

books I failed completely with my pain

writing detailed Solutions each book has

a separate number and the question

papers are still chronologically stored

in these folders here's one question

paper it's 23rd weekly test and I marked

the number on each of the papers and

this is one of the solution manuals I

created as you can see I have marked the

beginning of each paper solution with

sticky notes colored papers so that

whenever I find I think that this is a

solution that I'm looking for I will be

easily able to find it within these

books here you can see I've marked

weekly test 23 which is this papers

solution and even the index is filled

with weekly test 21 22 and 23 so that I

can easily find it and each of this

question papers is properly stff with

the error list that the coaching used to

give us which mentioned the questions

what were marked by me and which one of

them were wrong and the answer key it's

St to and here you can see I used to

give star ratings to a lot of questions

based on the complexity and difficulty

of this question Let's uh go through

this question it's uh something that

I've marked for three stars so a

circular tube of uniform

cross-section is filled with two liquids

of density Row one and row2 such that

half of each liquid occupies a quarter

of volume of the tube if the line

joining the free surface of the liquids

makes an angle Theta with horizontal

then tan Theta is equal to so this

equation is given tan Theta is equal to

r 1 - K1 R2 by K2 r 1 + R2 where K1 and

K2 are integers we just have to find the

numerical value of K1 by K2 so it's a

numerical question integer type question

and we have to find the numerical value

of K1 by K2 so let's just have a look at

the solution that I have written for

this question just to give U an example

to you to what level I used to write a

detailed solution so here you can see

the solution here I have drawn the

diagram and just have a look at the

solution from here I have written all

the details and to the last step the

answer is one just to get the one I had

to solve this much none of the steps are

skipped each step is explained with

detail like here you can see this value

is in equation two this is in equation

one I've have named each equation I've

uh explained each term so that I

understand each term by myself it is as

if I am writing a proper subjective

solution for 12th board exams imagine

writing 12th board exams level solution

for J level questions

strategy number four nonlinear notes

writing notes in your notebook just like

everybody the style is linear we go

through each notes it could be bullet

points it could be diagrams or it could

be just a paragraph the style is always

linear we linearly go through every page

but during my preparation I mostly use

to make nonlinear notes in the form of

mind maps the usual linear noting style

has a lot lot of drawbacks the linear

notes have unnecessary use of grammar

and other words which just increase the

length of each sentence and there's no

significant difference between your

notes and a textbook if you already have

information well presented in textbooks

then why copy it in your notebook and

you have bad handwriting see the purpose

of writing notes is to help you with

solving questions in the future but when

in the future you get stuck with a

question and you have to go through a

glimpse of the concept that's being used

used in that question or the formula

that's being used in that question you

have to go through your linear notes and

for that you have to go through this

procedure amid solving that question you

have to put your pen down you have to

get up from your chair you have to

travel to your bookshelf you have to

find the particular notebook amongst a

lot of notebooks then you have to open

the pages and find that particular

concept through a lot of pages you have

to go to that topic and then then you

find it this creates a lot of resistance

and maybe because of it you won't have

proper mood to solve questions and this

thing will keep happening if you go

through a question and feel that this

concept is written somewhere in your

notes and you don't remember it you will

be very lazy to go to the Bookshelf and

find that book so you will postpone

solving that question and you might

never ever solve that question again and

it might appear in the main exam and

when you are in your revision phase of

your competitive exam going through the

linear notes just to revise the concepts

takes a lot of time and that's how

during the revision phase of my

preparation I came up with Concept Maps

here's an example from organic chemistry

the problem with organic chemistry is

that there are hundreds of named

reactions and these named reactions

aren't present anywhere on the internet

with a chronological order and writing

each named reaction chronologically in

your notes is extremely difficult when

it comes to linear notes because the

pages just go on so I created this this

is a single page with 235 named

reactions chronologically written from a

to W so instead of just scrolling

through the pages I can directly find

the named reaction here and the

corresponding number reaction is on the

next two pages for example you are

solving previous year's papers and you

find a question that requires you to

remember wolf kishner reaction so just

like dictionary you go to w and find

wolf kishner reaction at 235 number and

on the next two pages you go to 235

number and here's the reaction here's an

example of electrostatics chapter from

physics the entire chapter is covered in

the single page I literally stopped

going through my linear notes when I was

in my revision phase just because I had

these nonlinear notes one page for one

chapter pasted all over my room on the

walls there there are a lot of

advantages of making nonlinear style

notes in the form of mind maps first you

don't have to use grammar at all only

when it's very necessary so that you

don't misinterpret the information the

sentences are shortened to the highest

extent second it is entirely different

from the presentation of information in

a textbook you aren't just blindly

copying from the textbook in your bad

handwriting you are making something of

your own hence even though the

information is already present in a

textbook it's worth writing it again in

these Maps third when you are stuck with

a question in the future and you aren't

able to remember the concept or the

formula so instead of going through the

procedure that I had named before you

just have to have a glimpse at the wall

that's it fourth you will never feel

lazy to have a check at the concept

because you won't have to go through

that procedure hence you will never skip

a question and fifth during the revision

phase of your competitive exam going

through these Maps is extremely easy you

just have have to have a glance at the

concepts on a single page which hardly

takes 10 to 20 minutes and these were

the four unconventional strategies that

I came up with during my preparation

this guys is how you prepare for exams

it has to be interesting and you have to

create something of your own thanks for

watching