Ridh’s eSaral Dropper Journey to IIT Guwahati : From 94 to Around 98 Percentile

eSaral › Success stories › Ridh’s eSaral Dropper Journey to IIT Guwahati : From 94 to Around 98 Percentile

Not every IITian was a school topper from childhood.

Ridh’s journey is a useful example.

Until Class 10, he said he did not work exceptionally hard academically, although he was still able to score reasonably well. Class 12 became difficult because of health issues, and he himself described that year as having gone poorly.

He therefore entered his drop year without the story of being a lifelong JEE topper.

He joined eSaral after the previous year’s JEE Advanced, around June. That left him roughly six months before the next JEE Main attempt.

In January, his percentile was approximately 94.

By the April attempt, it had increased to around 98 percentile.

The preparation later helped him reach the IIT counselling stage, where he received Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati.

At the time of the interview, however, he had kept the seat on float, so his counselling outcome was still open to an upgrade.

His journey is therefore less about one magical rank and more about what a student can change in a short drop year through consistency, controlled resources, mentorship and disciplined execution.

▶ Watch the complete student interview: Hear Ridh explain how he handled a six-month JEE Main timeline, controlled mobile distraction, followed eSaral’s Score Plan and stayed consistent even when he did not feel like studying.

Can an Average Student Become an IITian Without Being a School Topper?

One of the most useful myths Ridh challenged was the idea that an IIT aspirant must have been a topper since childhood.

When asked what misconception students should stop believing, he immediately pointed to this one.

He did not describe himself as an exceptional school-level academic performer.

His Class 12 preparation was also disrupted by health issues.

Yet his drop year still ended with an IIT Guwahati allotment.

This does not mean previous preparation is irrelevant.

It means a student’s Class 10 identity does not permanently decide the JEE result.

For students starting late or entering a drop year with an average previous score, the more useful questions are:

Can you work consistently now?

Can you follow one academic plan instead of changing it every week?

Can you correct distractions that affected the previous attempt?

Ridh’s journey suggests those questions matter much more than whether someone called you a “topper” at age 14.

How Can a Dropper Use Six Months Before JEE Main Efficiently?

Ridh joined his drop-year preparation after the previous JEE Advanced examination.

That meant only around six months remained before JEE Main.

He did not initially attempt to treat every chapter equally for the January examination.

He described his January JEE Main strategy as relatively selective.

This is a practical point for late-starting droppers.

When time is limited, students need to distinguish between chapters they can realistically make exam-ready and chapters that would require disproportionate time.

However, selective preparation should not become permanent avoidance.

After the first attempt, Ridh expanded his revision through eSaral’s Score Plan.

Students starting a serious second attempt can explore the eSaral Warrior JEE Dropper Course for structured classes, practice, testing and mentorship throughout the drop year. eSaral’s current Warrior programme combines these elements within one dropper-focused system.

Why Can a Structured Revision Plan Change the Second JEE Main Attempt?

Ridh called eSaral’s Score Plan a “game changer” for his preparation.

His January attempt had been selective.

After that, the Score Plan helped him revise a much wider portion of the syllabus.

He specifically said this revision helped him in both the second JEE Main attempt and JEE Advanced preparation.

The percentile change was visible.

He recalled roughly 94 percentile in January and around 98 percentile in April.

The numbers are approximate because that is how Ridh stated them in the interview, so they should not be converted into more precise figures without an official scorecard.

The broader lesson is more important:

A second attempt should not simply repeat the preparation of the first attempt.

It needs a post-attempt diagnosis followed by structured revision.

Aspirants can also use JEE Main previous-year papers to identify recurring question patterns and test whether revised concepts can actually be retrieved under exam conditions. eSaral’s current archive includes papers across recent JEE Main years.

What Is the Best Way to Control Mobile Distraction During JEE Preparation?

For Ridh, the major distraction was his phone.

His solution was unusually practical.

He asked his mother to set the passwords and locks on the phone—and specifically told her not to give him the passwords.

That removed the need to rely only on willpower every day.

This is useful because students often make distraction control unnecessarily complicated.

If an app repeatedly wastes two hours, the solution does not always need another productivity technique.

Sometimes access itself needs to become harder.

Ridh recognised that the mobile phone was his main distraction and involved his parent in controlling it.

That allowed the environment to support his goal instead of constantly testing his self-control.

Why Does Sticking to One Module Work Better Than Collecting Extra Books?

Ridh described another habit behind his preparation:

He did not keep jumping from one resource to another.

His approach was essentially:

Complete the module. Do not keep adding a second and third book unnecessarily.

This is highly relevant for JEE aspirants because resource abundance can create preparation anxiety.

A student starts one module.

Then sees another book recommended online.

Then downloads a PDF.

Then watches another teacher.

Within a few weeks, nothing is complete.

Ridh’s approach was the opposite.

He tried to finish the work already in front of him.

Students who want additional exam-level practice after completing their primary material can use JEE Main chapter-wise PYQs rather than collecting random extra books. The current eSaral resource organises JEE Main previous questions chapter-wise with solutions.

How Can Students Study Even on Days When Motivation Is Missing?

Ridh described consistency in one very simple sentence:

Even when he did not feel like studying, he would still sit at the table.

That habit may be more important than an elaborate motivation system.

No aspirant feels equally motivated for eight or ten months.

Some days feel productive.

Some tests go badly.

Some chapters become frustrating.

On other days, the student simply feels tired.

Ridh’s answer was not to wait until motivation returned.

He relied more on discipline.

He had also written down his expected goal and kept it visible during the preparation period.

The target reminded him why the daily routine mattered.

This is the difference between motivation and consistency.

Motivation asks, “Do I feel like studying today?”

Consistency asks, “What work has to be completed today?”

What Role Can Parents Play in Protecting a Dropper’s Focus?

Ridh said his parents protected him from unnecessary negative discussion around preparation.

He did not spend much time talking to people who might create self-doubt.

His parents remained the main people around him.

His mother was also directly involved in his routine.

She woke him at around 6:00 a.m., and she helped him control his phone by managing the passwords.

Ridh said his parents were even happier than he was after the result—perhaps “two or three times” happier.

He also became the first IITian in his family.

His sister was already a doctor, making the result another major academic milestone for the family.

Parent support here was not about solving Physics questions.

It was about reducing noise around the student and protecting the preparation environment.

How Does Personal Mentorship Help When Preparation Starts to Drift?

Ridh identified Pushpa Ma’am as his eSaral mentor.

He described her role clearly:

Whenever he started drifting slightly away from the plan, she brought him back on track.

That is an important function of mentorship in a drop year.

A student may know what to do academically but still lose consistency.

A mentor can identify that change before it becomes a month-long problem.

Ridh’s experience with Pushpa Ma’am was therefore not presented as occasional motivational talk.

It was about maintaining direction.

For students considering online JEE preparation, eSaral’s current JEE Main and Advanced courses include structured preparation alongside tests and academic support.

How Much Should a JEE Dropper Study Without Burning Out?

Ridh described a full but structured day.

His mother would wake him around 6:00 a.m.

After getting ready and having breakfast, he attended classes.

He then took a break, returned to study, took another break later and completed another two-to-three-hour study block before sleeping around 11:00 p.m. or midnight.

The discussion estimated his overall daily preparation at roughly 10–12 hours.

The useful part is not the number alone.

His routine included breaks.

A long preparation year cannot depend on sitting continuously for 12 hours.

Students need a routine they can repeat tomorrow, next week and several months later.

Why Should JEE Aspirants Listen to Teachers Instead of Creating a New Strategy Every Week?

When asked for one core message that could help both average and brilliant students, Ridh gave a very direct answer:

Listen to your teachers.

His reasoning was that experienced teachers have already seen the problems students repeatedly face.

Students often create unnecessary complexity by trying to redesign the preparation system every few days.

Ridh felt that following teachers properly solves a large proportion of these problems.

This does not mean students should stop thinking.

It means they should avoid replacing an experienced academic plan with random impulses every time a mock score falls.

Students can supplement teacher-led preparation with JEE Advanced previous-year papers once they reach the full-paper phase. eSaral’s current archive provides both JEE Advanced papers with solutions across recent years.

▶ Hear this advice directly from the student: In the full interview, Ridh explains why “listen to your teachers” was the one message he wanted juniors to remember.

How Should Students Think About IIT Branches During JoSAA Float Rounds?

At the time of the interview, Ridh had received Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati.

But he had not locked the seat.

It remained on float.

This matters because success stories published during counselling can easily become inaccurate if a temporary allotment is presented as the final branch.

Ridh himself was initially disappointed because the result was below his own expectation.

With time, his perspective changed.

He recognised that he had still cracked the examination and reached an IIT.

Students in counselling should similarly avoid making emotional decisions immediately after comparing themselves with higher ranks.

They should evaluate the actual institute, available branch and future counselling possibilities.

After JEE Advanced, aspirants can compare their score with historical trends using eSaral’s JEE Advanced Marks vs Rank resource. Historical rank estimates should still be treated as guidance rather than a substitute for the official result or JoSAA allotment.

What Makes a Drop Year Successful Beyond a Percentile Jump?

Ridh’s drop year produced a clear academic improvement—from roughly 94 percentile in January to around 98 percentile in April.

But the more useful part of the journey is what changed behind those numbers.

He stopped believing that only childhood toppers reach IIT.

He accepted selective preparation when the January timeline was short.

He then widened revision through a structured Score Plan.

He gave his mother control over phone passwords.

He stayed with one module instead of continuously adding resources.

He sat down to study even when he did not feel motivated.

Pushpa Ma’am helped bring him back whenever his preparation started drifting.

And he followed teacher guidance instead of trying to reinvent the preparation system constantly.

The outcome was an IIT Guwahati Mechanical Engineering allotment during counselling.

That is why this is not merely a story about 94 becoming 98.

It is a story about turning a difficult Class 12 into a much more disciplined second attempt.

▶ Watch Ridh’s complete eSaral success story: Hear the full conversation about his health setback, six-month Main preparation, Score Plan, mobile-phone control, parent support, Pushpa Ma’am’s mentorship and IIT Guwahati counselling journey.

Verified Improvement and eSaral Support From the Interview