Have you ever given up in your life? What motivated you to rise again?

I failed to crack IIT-JEE, twice! I was preparing for the exam in Kota, and at one point, I almost lost all motivation in life.

Unlike other JEE aspirants, my story is different. I wasn't a very bright student. After class 10, my father decided to send me to Kota for JEE preparation. Full of hope and dreams, I started my preparation. I did well at first, but in my first attempt, I only scored 82.2% in my CBSE class 12th boards. After reflecting on my performance, I realized I could crack IIT-JEE if given another year of preparation. I’m so grateful to my parents for supporting me, even when many relatives tried to convince them that spending money on my JEE preparation wasn’t worth it, especially for a daughter. They even suggested saving the money for my dowry and marrying me to an IITian! But my parents trusted me, and I went back to Kota to continue my preparation.

This time, I worked extremely hard. I gave my best, and my hostel mates and the owner respected my dedication. I ranked in the top 100 of my institute and was confident about my selection. But, unfortunately, I got sick with diarrhea on the day of the exam. Despite not being in good condition, I still gave the exam and ended up with a rank of around 14K. As a general category student, I couldn’t get into any IITs or NITs because my boards' percentage was only 82.2%. So, I ended up in a state government engineering college, which I could have gotten into even during my first attempt.

I lost all my confidence and motivation after that. I felt depressed. It took me 7 months to realize I was actually depressed. Even hearing the word "IIT" made me emotional. I had worked so hard, but it didn’t work out. What made it worse was that relatives and neighbors kept asking about my result and mocking my parents. They said things like:

  1. "Your daughter wasn’t capable of cracking JEE."
  2. "You wasted so much money in Kota that could have been saved for her marriage."
  3. "She probably didn’t work hard enough."
  4. "Girls aren’t cut out for exams like JEE."
  5. "Stop wasting money on her, save it for her marriage."

Despite hearing all this, my parents never complained. They stood by me, believing in my abilities. The pressure from relatives and neighbors motivated me to get out of my depression and prove them wrong. I promised myself I would achieve everything I would have if I had been in an IIT. I wanted to make my parents proud and show everyone that my time in Kota wasn’t wasted.

I didn’t know where to start, though. My college didn’t offer much guidance, but I explored various opportunities and tried everything to find what excited me. I’m so thankful for my partner, who supported and motivated me through every failure. He believed in me even when I lost faith in myself. The confidence I have today is because of him.

I started doing internships from my second year and built a good profile by the end of my third year. That helped me land great internships, including one at DRDO, which changed my life. In my final year, more opportunities came my way, and I ended up in a company that pays well and aligns with my passions. I’ve participated in and won several hackathons, including the Microsoft AI Hackathon, Smart India Hackathon (where we won a 75K cash prize!), and Amdocs Hackfest 2019 (where I got a free stay at a 5-star hotel!).

I also started mentoring students from my grandparents’ village, inspiring them to dream big. I even helped my maid's daughter pass the Bank Clerk exam. Helping others gives me so much satisfaction.

I couldn’t crack JEE, but I want to inspire and help others who can’t even think about it, to believe in themselves and achieve their dreams.

Read Also:- Who do you secretly feel bad for?

I believe that failure helps you find your true passion. You are only a failure if you stop trying. Many students give up after failing to crack JEE, blaming their situation or looking for excuses. But we must learn to dream big and never let difficulties stop us from trying. Believe in your abilities, and everything else will follow.

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