Interview #1 : Sanjana Acharya (AIR 1, 2016)

Sanjana Acharya is not your typical brainy girl. With interests as varied as doodling, being a huge DIY enthusiast, poet and a pro YouTuber (check out Jasanna Dreams !!) she is quite the versatile person. A chance encounter at the DCF (Department Computer Facility, where we chill the f out) led to this rather stimulating interview. Go check it out, you might grab something useful.


1) Hey Sanjana, Could you tell us a little something about yourself?

I wish I had something interesting to say here, but I really don't.

2) How's being a freshie coming up? Has the campus and the Department been as awesome as you expected it to be? 

So far my experience has been good, and I've gotten the random-est opportunities here that I had never thought of before, but they are really amazing.

3) So tell me, what was your motivation behind HS? Why Humanities at IIT M?

I've always been inclined to these subjects, but I never quite knew what exactly to do career-wise, or even which subject I wanted to pursue out of the broad spectrum of HS. I think at 17, it is very hard to make a decision like that. So, this course seemed ideal to me- to get a more in depth look at the subjects I am interested in, and to then be able to narrow down and study that.

4) IIT being a primarily technical institute is often feared by many students as a wrong or rather awkward place to pursue an MA in Humanities, in. What is your response to that? Have you been able to fit into this place?

I chose IIT because I wanted to be a part of a larger, more dynamic campus. Thus there are larger events and a lot more opportunities presented to you- and a lot of events are not related to your field of study at all, but I think that's what makes it special. You get to interact with people that are interested in things very different from you and are pursuing a totally different life path. That's really cool. I've fit in here just as well as any engineering student, I think.

5) As someone whose it through, you would know that one of the greatest problems aspirants face at this time of the year, is with how to balance the boards and test prep. How did you manage?

For me my main focus was clearing HSEE. I knew if I did averagely well in 12th, it'd be enough to get in here. However, I did Humanities in my 11th and 12th, and my HSEE prep did kinda help with my boards, and my knowledge of Economics helped me in HSEE. Not much, but still, it was kind of complementary for me.

6) Also we get a lot of queries as to whether now is too late a time to start preparing for HSEE. What do you think? 

I don't think so at all. A lot of my friends who got through started around this time. Even I started taking my HSEE prep more seriously only from Feb. However, if you are starting now, be focused and work hard. Remember there is competition out there, and there will be people who have been preparing for a long time. However, do not lose hope, what it important is to work hard and study smart.

7) What was your prep strategy? Were there any sections you found particularly tough? How did you deal with it?

I did take a long distance program from a coaching center and the materials from there were quite helpful. I would suggest that to those preparing. Apart from that books like Manorama were useful, and a YouTube channel called StudyIQ which was really helped out tons in GK.
I found the General Studies tough because questions would come from literally anywhere, but from doing mocks and questions, I started to get a gist of the kinds of questions that are asked, and I'd read up on that.

8) When it comes to giving the exam or a mock, the time constraint is a major issue for most aspirants. Do you have any tips on smarter time management?

So, I took the most time for maths, because- calculations. So I would do the English, then the General Studies section, and come to the Quantitative Aptitude last- in that, I solved the logic section first because that included series and patterns, and were less time consuming for me. I would come to the maths last, so that even if I could not  finish all the questions I would lose minimum marks. In saying that, I always was answering the paper till the last minute, so my advice is use the time you get diligently- do not get distracted or stressed. Stay calm and focused throughout.

9) Many students find the General Studies section very tough to prepare for, given its sheer massive syllabus. Any tips?

It is daunting. But the only way to overcome that is to try out the sample questions, past papers and mocks. I know it'l seem daunting at first because you will feel like you know nothing, but keep at it. You will come to know which areas to focus on and how questions are asked. There is an article that tells you what are the major areas to focus on, and best ways to prep for GK on this blog already. Do check that out, it will be very helpful.

10) Is there anything else you want to tell our prospective future freshies? Any message?
   
It is very much possible for you to clear HSEE. Don't lose heart. But, at the same time, it won't be cakewalk, so keep working hard, and most importantly work smart, and you'll be an IITian in no time!