eSaral Student Success Story: How Mohana Reached IIT Roorkee After a Difficult Drop Year

eSaral › Success stories  ›  eSaral Student  Mohana’s Journey from a Difficult Drop Year to IIT Roorkee

Some student success stories are mainly about marks, ranks, and study hours.

Mohana’s story is different.

Her journey was not smooth, and she does not try to present it that way. During her drop year, she faced health-related setbacks, financial difficulties at home and the sudden loss of her father. There were days when deciding whether to study, revise or even attempt a mock test became difficult.

Still, she continued.

After counselling, Mohana received a seat at IIT Roorkee. In the video conversation, she and her family speak honestly about the circumstances she faced, the support she received from eSaral and the role that regular mock tests and personal mentoring played in her preparation.

This is not a story about one secret formula. It is a story about continuing to take the next small step when life becomes much harder than expected.

How Health Issues Can Affect JEE Preparation — And How to Recover

Mohana explains that her Class 11 and Class 12 preparation had been affected by health problems.

She developed a vitamin deficiency and frequently experienced headaches and migraines. Because of these issues, she found it difficult to attend regularly and remain physically present for long periods. She says that a large part of her Class 11 and Class 12 years was spent managing these health difficulties.

She still performed well in her state-level examination, but her main goal was to study at an IIT.

Her first JEE Advanced attempt in 2025 did not go as planned, and she did not qualify. Instead of leaving the goal there, she decided to take a drop year.

Choosing Online JEE Preparation with eSaral

Online preparation was not the usual choice among students around her. Mohana says that most droppers in her area preferred offline coaching and that online preparation was not commonly considered.

However, because of her health and circumstances, she did not feel that offline coaching would work for her.

She spoke to her father about preparing online. When she told him that she wanted to study with eSaral, he supported her decision.

She joined the eSaral Batch in August and began attending her online classes.

This decision became especially meaningful later because her father had personally supported her IIT goal and her choice to prepare through eSaral.

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How to Stay Consistent During a Difficult JEE Drop Year

The beginning of her drop year was not easy.

Mohana shares that from August to September, her family was facing financial and household problems. The atmosphere at home was not always suitable for focused JEE Advanced preparation.

Despite this, she continued with the classes.

She says that the teaching she received between August and December helped her build the understanding that she later depended on during the final months of her preparation.

Her experience shows why a preparation system needs to work even when a student cannot follow a perfect daily routine. During difficult periods, a strong academic base can become more useful than an unrealistic timetable.

What to Do If Your JEE Main January Attempt Doesn't Go Well

Mohana appeared for her January examination, but she was not satisfied with the result.

Instead of treating the attempt as the end of her preparation, she and her mentor tried to understand what had gone wrong.

They discussed the problems she had faced during the examination and started creating a plan for improvement from February onwards.

This part of the story is important because her preparation was not based only on completing lectures. Her tests were being reviewed and used to decide what she should work on next.

Read the JEE Dropper Year Rebuild Strategy →

An Unimaginable Personal Loss Before JEE Advanced

On February 15, during the final phase of her preparation, Mohana’s father passed away suddenly after suffering a cardiac arrest in Mumbai.

Her family was in Hyderabad at the time.

The weeks that followed were filled with grief, travel, family responsibilities and administrative work. Mohana explains that the family had to deal with banks, documents, emails and continuous phone calls for several months.

Her younger sister’s board examinations were also beginning around the same time. The sisters returned so that the younger sister could appear for her examinations, while their mother stayed in their hometown for some time.

Her younger sister later scored approximately 95% in her examinations.

It is difficult to reduce this period to a “challenge” in a success story. It was a major personal loss for the entire family.

Mohana says that her father had wanted her to become an IITian. Continuing towards that goal became one of her biggest reasons to keep going.

Should You Study New Topics or Focus on Mock Tests Before JEE Advanced?

After this loss, Mohana was unsure about how to continue preparing.

She did not know whether she should spend her limited energy studying more chapters or whether she should continue attempting examinations.

This is where she says her mentor played an important role.

See the JEE Advanced 40-Day Test Strategy →

According to Mohana, he regularly called her, asked how her tests had gone and encouraged her to keep attempting examinations. He advised her to write approximately one test every day and then focus on the chapters where improvement was needed.

He also guided her on when to use targeted resources such as rank boosters and chapter-focused preparation.

Mohana says that during this phase, she improved more through writing examinations than through trying to study everything again.

In her own assessment, if the mentors had not been present, she might not have continued attempting the tests at all.

Why Mock Tests Matter More in the Final Months of JEE Preparation

For the final three months, Mohana’s preparation became heavily test-oriented.

She was not trying to learn the complete syllabus again from the beginning. Her aim was to use what she already knew more effectively.

The process was broadly:

1. Attempt a mock test.
2. Review how the test went.
3. Identify weak chapters or areas.
4. Practise those specific areas.
5. Attempt another test.
6. Repeat the process.

She believes that this helped her make the best use of the situation she was in.

This is also an important lesson for other students in the final stage of JEE preparation. At that point, improvement may come from implementation, question selection, time management and error correction—not only from watching more lectures.

Explore eSaral's JEE Test Series →

How eSaral Mentor Support Helps JEE Aspirants Stay on Track

The strongest eSaral-related point repeated throughout the conversation is not simply “online classes.”

It is the presence of a mentor who continued checking on the student.

Mohana and her family repeatedly mention that her mentor

• Called her regularly.
• Asked about her mock-test performance.
• Helped her decide which chapters required more attention.
• Encouraged her to attempt tests even when she felt confused.
• Motivated her before the final examination.
• Helped her maintain confidence during a very difficult period.

Her younger sister independently repeats this point. She says the mentor regularly checked how Mohana was doing and encouraged her to attempt one mock test every day.

Her mother also thanks the eSaral teachers, directors and mentors for helping her daughter understand how to approach JEE Advanced.

These repeated observations from the student, mother and sister make personal mentoring one of the clearest proof points in the story.

From JEE Drop Year to IIT Roorkee: The Outcome

After everything the family had gone through, Mohana secured a seat at IIT Roorkee during counselling.

The result mattered deeply to the family because becoming an IITian had also been her father’s dream for her.

Her mother describes the moment as both happy and emotional. She says that Mohana’s father wanted to see her at an IIT and thanks the eSaral team, faculty, and mentors for helping her reach that point.

What Her Mother Said About the Journey

Mohana’s mother’s response is simple and honest.

She is happy that her daughter has received an IIT seat, but the happiness is closely connected with the memory of Mohana’s father and his dream.

She thanks:

• The eSaral team.
• The directors.
• The faculty members.
•  The mentoring team.

She says the mentoring and guidance helped Mohana learn how to approach JEE Advanced and eventually receive an IIT seat.

What Her Younger Sister Observed

Mohana’s younger sister speaks about two things: her sister’s strength and the support she received.

She says that Mohana fought through everything that happened after February and still managed to perform well.

She specifically remembers the regular calls from her mentor, the recommendation to attempt mock tests and the encouragement Mohana received after joining the eSaral online course in August.

She also says that the family believed Mohana’s hard work, combined with the work of the eSaral faculty, would help her perform well.

Her words add an important perspective because she saw the preparation happening inside the home.

What Mohana Experienced at eSaral

Based only on what Mohana and her family said in the video, her eSaral experience included:

1. Online classes that worked with her circumstances

Because of her health and personal situation, studying online was more practical than relocating for offline coaching.

2. Conceptual teaching during the first part of the year

She credits the teachers and the classes from August to December for helping her build the knowledge she used later.

3. Regular personal contact from her mentor

Her mentor did not only share a plan once. He kept calling, reviewing tests and adjusting her focus.

4. A test-based improvement strategy

During the last few months, she was encouraged to attempt frequent mock tests and improve based on the errors and weak chapters revealed by those tests.

5. Emotional support during a difficult period

Mohana repeatedly says that the encouragement and confidence given by her mentor helped her continue attempting examinations.

6. Support that included her family

The conversation includes her mother and younger sister, both of whom recognised the role of the teachers and mentors.

Challenges Mohana Faced Before and During Her eSaral Journey

How Her Experience Changed After Joining eSaral

What Other JEE Aspirants Can Learn from Her Journey

Mohana’s circumstances were personal, and every student’s situation is different. Still, a few practical lessons come from her experience.

A bad attempt does not have to define the remaining preparation

Her January examination did not go well. The next step was not to panic or restart everything. The problems were reviewed and used to create a new plan.

Tests can show what to study next

Mohana was confused about whether to keep studying or start attempting examinations. Her mentor used mock tests to reveal the chapters that needed attention.

The final months are often about implementation

She says that in the last three months, she spent more time attempting examinations than studying new content. She focused on applying what had already been taught.

Personal guidance can matter when motivation falls

The calls were useful not only because they included an academic plan. They also gave her a reason to keep appearing for examinations.

A strong base helps during unpredictable periods

The concepts learned between August and December became important when her family responsibilities increased and her available study time reduced.

Watch Mohana’s Full Conversation

The written story summarises the major parts of Mohana’s journey, but the complete video provides the full context in her own words and through the experiences shared by her mother and younger sister.

Watch the complete student success story below.

Preparing for JEE with a Drop Year?

A drop year does not always go according to a fixed timetable. Students may face backlogs, health problems, weak attempts, or periods when motivation falls.

eSaral’s JEE programmes combine online teaching, tests, performance review and mentor support to help students understand what they should work on next.

Explore eSaral’s JEE preparation programmes

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