Drop Year Post I Wish I Had Found

Who is this for-

If your parents have started introducing you as "he/she is taking a drop year", you are in the right place. Tadaa!

SO, kyunki I might forget all of this as I get busier, I'm compiling everything I can think of regarding the topic.

(A little about me - Gave IPMAT mazze me last year without any solid prep, missed the cutoffs. Realised it might actually be my thing, took a drop, prepped again and would be joining an IIM this year :))

My score was: 36/38/134 resp

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TIMELINE

This is a very important part (THE most important if you ask me).

Don't decide on a drop overnight. Think it through. Talk to seniors, parents, mentors and understand what you're signing up for. A drop year can be incredibly rewarding, but only if you're mentally prepared for it.

Once you've decided, plan the year before you start studying.

I used a monthly planner and I'd highly recommend it. Keep 2–3 buffer days at the end/start of every month (trust me, you'll need them). Life happens, you'll fall sick, family functions will pop up, you'll have lazy days.

Break every month into weeks, and every week into daily targets. Having a rough roadmap makes the year feel much less overwhelming.

Also, PLEASE write a mock before you even begin preparing.

I know it sounds scary because you'll probably score terribly, but that's literally the point.

Treat it like a SWOT analysis.

• Strengths: Topics you're already comfortable with.
• Weaknesses: Topics you need to build from scratch.
• Opportunities: Easy marks you can gain with a little effort.
• Threats: Topics you keep avoiding or consistently mess up.

Your first few months should mainly be about improving the Weaknesses and Opportunities while making sure your Strengths don't become weak because you ignored them.

The last phase (roughly after January) should look very different from the beginning.

By then, your focus should shift from learning new things to solving as many sectionals and mocks as possible.

Increase the frequency every month. The goal is to expose yourself to as many different question types as possible.

The more questions you've seen before the actual exam, the fewer surprises you'll face on exam day.

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RESOURCES

I would say stick to the basics. The amount of FOMO you'll have during your drop year is insane.

I used AfterBoards for sectionals, mocks, DILR sets and RCs. Towards the end I also bought a couple of test series, but honestly, I couldn't even finish them all. That should tell you something 😭.

YouTube lectures are underrated.

If you're enrolled in a coaching, stick to their material. Trust me, it's more than enough.

WPME is also really helpful, but only if you use it properly. Don't just read through it once and call it a day. Sit with a pencil, solve alongside it, mark important questions and keep revisiting it.

Do sectionals regularly.

They don't feel as mentally exhausting as full mocks, you get exposed to new questions every day, and you naturally build speed and accuracy. More importantly, analyse them.

Make a note of:

• Questions you got wrong.
• Questions you guessed.
• Questions you skipped but should've attempted.
• Any new trick/concept you learnt.

Over time you'll start noticing patterns in your mistakes, and fixing those patterns is where most of your improvement comes from.

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MISTAKES YOU CAN AVOID

1. Letting the initial FOMO get to you.

Now as the new aspirants settle in (27/28), there are going to be multiple posts about test scores and previous scores yada yada. They're best avoided!

2. Writing mocks, seeing the score, feeling satisfied and calling it a day.

NOPE. No matter how nice it looks, make sure to analyse it!

3. Ignoring strong topics!

Don't let the new topics deviate you from your strengths, keep them in check.

4. ASKING "IS THIS SCORE ENOUGH FOR ABC COLLEGE?"

Lol. Maximising your score is what is in your hands. Don't fall for this trap. A lot of things are subjective later on in the interview process, and a good score WILL give you an upper hand. Just focus on that.

5. Going on and collecting new ECAs like Pokemons.

(Well this topic has already been stressed enough by seniors!)

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THINGS I DID RIGHT

1. Focused on what I got wrong and switched gears in the last months of prep.
2. Got off social media (corny but worked for me).
3. Took days off and enjoyed with family whenever I felt there was a burnout approaching.
4. Joined this community (ahah loved it!)

That's about it from my side.

It's been a pretty crazy year. I had some amazing days, some absolutely horrible ones, and a lot of very average days in between. Looking back though, I wouldn't change much.

A drop year isn't nearly as scary as people make it out to be. It has its ups and downs, but eventually it just becomes... your routine.

All the very best! Rooting for every single one of you. :)