TOPPER TALK: Early start gave Hyderabad boy an edge in JEE Advanced

Bhogalapalli Sandesh, 17, hailing from Hyderabad, who secured AIR 3 in open category in the JEE Advanced 2024, says recognising the need to allocate time and focus based on individual strengths and weaknesses is key to cracking the exam.

Sandesh who now aims to pursue Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) at IIT Bombay, started preparing for JEE when he was in class VIII. Sandesh says that initially he had no knowledge about the IIT entrance exams. He developed an interest only after seeing his elder brother take coaching for JEE. The influence of his parents, who are government schoolteachers, coupled with his elder brother’s pursuit of studying at IIT, fuelled Sandesh’s aspiration.

“I joined Narayana CO in class VIII and studied there till class X. After that, I joined Narayana’s junior college in Hyderabad. As my interest lay in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, I enjoyed preparing for the JEE entrance exams,” he says, adding, “After completing my graduation, I would like to work for a couple of years. My ultimate dream is to crack the UPSC examination and serve the nation as a civil servant.”

Frequent practice tests
It was fun preparing for the exams, says Sandesh. “However, sometimes it was overwhelming. I secured AIR 3 in the open category. I appeared for both JEE sessions (Session 1 and Session 2) because the frequent practice tests offered by Narayana Educational Institutions helped me prepare well for the examinations,” he says.

During preparation, Sandesh faced several challenges, such as difficulty in memorising Chemistry concepts, basic facts in Physics, and solving Maths questions quickly. “I overcame these challenges by writing short notes for Chemistry, reading Physics theory, and consistently practicing Maths. My parents and teachers kept me motivated and helped me navigate this process with ease. They turned my dreams into reality,” says Sandesh.

Maintaining a balance
He says, “All three subjects required equal time, focus, and effort to prepare for the JEE exams. If one feels that there is need to give extra time and focus to a particular subject, then the student should do it while maintaining a balance between the three subjects.”

Sandesh prepared for the entrance examination by taking coaching classes from Narayana Educational Institutions. “I focused on subjects where I needed more improvement,” he says.

Sandesh’s father, B Rama Subba Reddy, teaches Telugu, while his mother, V Rajeswari, teaches Mathematics. His elder brother, B Sahishnu, is currently pursuing a degree in CSE at IIT Hyderabad. Apart from studies, Sandesh is interested in drawing, playing table tennis, watching movies and web series and anime.