At the age of 10, Ojas Maheshwari harboured a dream of getting into IIT-Bombay. Today, he is pursuing engineering from the same institute.

Ojas secured an All-India Rank (AIR) of 26 in the JEE Advanced 2022 exam and is the topper in the Persons with Disabilities (PwD) category, and the first PwD with such a good ranking in the general category as well.

The Andheri resident didn’t consider his hearing loss an impairment and aimed for a general rank.

When Ojas was six, they found out that he had a 66% hearing loss. Due to Ojas’s adaptability, his parents decided that they would enable and equip him to lead a normal life.

An Olympiad teacher, his mother Pooja honed his talent and made him participate in Olympiad competitions since he was eight.

Ojas says that IIT was his dream and really a “no-brainer” for him. “Participating in Olympiads really gave my education a boost. I had a passion for maths and science, and the automatic route for me was IIT,” says Ojas.

He scored 97.8% both in his Class 10 and 12 examinations. He was coached by his mother till Class 8.

Ojas also shared what worked for him during the JEE Advanced preparation:

He says he started rigorous preparation for the exam in April 2020 itself. He would study for almost 12-14 hours per day. He says that good sleep is important.

1

Make short notes: The rank-holder says that one should develop a habit of making short notes. This helps in subjects with big chapters that one can’t revise easily.

Focus on all subjects: Ojas focused on his weak subject, Inorganic Chemistry, as much as he did on maths. “I made detailed notes for inorganic chemistry. I revised these notes on a daily basis. This especially helped in reactions and exceptions in the subject.”

2

Have a daily plan: Having a timetable is of paramount importance. “Thanks to my institute, we had a daily plan. We had regular tests and knew how much portion was to be completed each week,” says Ojas.

3

Study with your peer group: The pandemic has shown us the importance of offline interactions. It’s the same for education too, the teenager feels.

4

“A peer group is very important for studies. When you are around your friends, you face healthy competition. You can also learn different methods of solving problems,” says Ojas.

Never lose hope: “Always have faith in yourself. Know that you are capable enough to do this. The road ahead will be good with a little hope,” smiles the topper.

5

Don’t sacrifice on sleep: Despite studying for 12-14 hours a day, Ojas always managed a good night’s sleep. He slept by 9.30-10 pm and would wake up by 4.30-5 am. He feels that sleep should not be sacrificed.

 6

Have some stress-buster: While the Andheri resident switched off his mobile a few months before the exams, and is not on social media, he found other ways to cool himself down. His favourite activity was playing football for an hour at college, which helped him relax.

 7

Stay motivated: “I have been self-motivated since my childhood. I knew I was going to achieve my dream, come what may. I think a burning desire is required to clear an exam as tough as JEE Advanced,” says Ojas.

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