As cliche as it may sound, there are no shortcuts to success as far as the JEE Main exam is concerned. Engineering aspirants need to toil hard and put their best foot forward in order to realize their dream of studying in a top engineering college. As the number of seats in IITs and other top-notch engineering institutes is limited, the candidates need to put in a lot of efforts to stay in the hunt. That said, however, mistakes are inevitable! Despite their best efforts, many engineering aspirants end up making some mistakes that may prove to be quite costly and jeopardise their career plans. Let’s take a look at some of the common mistakes that the candidates need to avoid while preparing for JEE Main – Being complacent in Class XI Yes, finishing the Class X board exams is a wonderful feeling. It feels like a huge burden has been lifted off your shoulders. And there is nothing wrong in letting your guard down for a while. But being too complacent in Class XI is something that you should definitely avoid if you are serious about cracking the JEE Main exam. The syllabus of Class XI is tougher than the syllabus of Class X. Moreover, several questions in JEE Main exam are based on the Class XI syllabus. Therefore, it’s important for engineering aspirants to gain a thorough grasp of the syllabus of Class XI. Not studying the NCERT Books Reference books can be of great help. But it’s important not to jump the gun. The first step should be to clear the basics. This is where the NCERT books can come in very handy. Studying the NCERT books thoroughly will help you gain a conceptual understanding of the subject. Also, it ensures that you don’t veer away from the official JEE syllabus. Ignoring a subject In JEE Main exam, the questions are asked from three subjects – Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Many students tend to focus on two of these subjects and often neglect the third one. Such a strategy is a recipe for disaster. The students need to answer questions from all three subjects to crack the exam. Moreover, JEE Main exam can be unpredictable at times. The difficulty level of questions in one section can be high. Therefore, relying on two sections to score a decent rank is not a good idea. Lack of proper sleep & diet This is something that parents keep telling their children all the time. Yet, many engineering aspirants make the mistake of ignoring their sleep and diet especially when the exam date is near. It may prove to be a big mistake as it is likely to have a negative impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. Relying solely on self-study Joining a JEE Main coaching institute doesn’t guarantee success. However, it does increase the odds. Coaching institutes offer tailor-made courses designed to suit the requirements of Class XI and Class XII students. With regular classes, you can stay abreast of changes in the syllabus and exam pattern. Also, these classes help you stay organized and ensure that things move as per the plan. Enrolling in a course offered by a reliable JEE coaching institute in Jalandhar such as the Reynott Academy can lay a solid foundation for success.