How to prepare for GATE along with college?

While some of the students might have started their preparation back in college, others might have started after college with or without a job. Though none of the options has an upper hand, what matters is when you realize you want to start preparation with full dedication and sincerity to reap the advantages of GATE exam such as research opportunities, higher studies at top IITs and foreign universities, and job opportunities in PSUs, and teaching sector.

College students sometimes feel that there are problems when preparing for college and they are confused about whether they should concentrate more on college studies or GATE Preparation. This will help them work towards building a promising career with the available opportunities after the GATE exam. To solve the same problem, we will discuss the problems that college students face while preparing and how they can overcome these problems without any issues. In this way, the aspirants can easily utilize the GATE Exam benefits. The blog post will help in keeping focused on the GATE Examination while not compromising on the college exams as well. However, before we discuss the GATE exam problems that college students face, we would like to give a little brief about the GATE examination, its pattern, and other important features thus answering the common query of GATE exam is for what purpose.

The Department of Higher Education functioning under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India conducts the GATE exam every year to evaluate students on their technical knowledge and aptitude command. The GATE organizing committee consists of various IITs along with IISc Bangalore. Every year, one of the institutes conducts the national-level competitive examination for the eligible candidates who have applied for the exam.

Features of GATE:

Who is eligible for the GATE exam?

The GATE aspirants who fulfill one of the segments mentioned in the GATE exam eligibility criteria can appear for the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering.

What is the GATE exam eligibility criteria?

It is one of the most commonly asked questions among GATE aspirants before they get started with their full-fledged GATE exam preparation.  Below are the aspects linked with the GATE exam eligibility criteria.

In terms of education, candidates with the following credentials are eligible for the GATE exam 2023.

• A candidate who is currently studying in the 3^rd or higher years of any undergraduate degree program.
• A candidate who has already completed a degree program in Engineering/Technology/Science/Architecture/Commerce/Arts is eligible for appearing in the GATE exam 2023.

The qualifying degrees or programs that are eligible for the GATE exam (when the candidate is in the 3^rd Year or higher or already completed) are as follows:

• E/B.Tech/B.Pharm (4 years after 10+2 or 3 years after the candidate completes the Diploma in Engineering or Technology/B.Sc.)
• Arch (or Naval Architecture or Planning)
• Sc (Research)/B.S. (Post-Diploma/4 years after 10+2)
• PharmD (6 years program after 10+2)

Candidates who are currently in their 5^th and above semester in the MBBS/BDS/B.V.Sc degree programs can also appear for the GATE entrance exam.

In the case of the Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to B.E./B.Tech./B.Arch) that are recognized by MoE/UPSC/AICTE, the respective candidates must have completed Section A or equivalent of such professional courses.

The expected year of completion for the above-mentioned degrees/programs w.r.t. GATE 2023 exam are as follows:

Programs with expected year as 2024:

• E./B.Tech/B.Pharm
• Sc (Research)/B.S.
• MBBS/BDS/BVSc
• Sc./MA/MCA or equivalent
• Sc (Agriculture, Horticulture, and Forestry)

Programs with expected year as 2025:

• Arch (or Naval Architecture or Planning)
• Integrated M.E./M.Tech/M.Pharm or Dual Degree after diploma or 10+2
• Integrated M.Sc or 5-year integrated B.S., M.S. program

Programs with expected year as 2026:

• PharmD (after 10+2 which comprises internship or residency training during the third year onwards)

Apart from this, the authorities consider the enrolment date of Professional Society Examinations (equivalent to B.E./B.Tech/B.Arch) as 31^st May 2013 instead of the expected year of completion.

Therefore, these are the degrees or programs that concerned authorities accept as eligible programs for the GATE Entrance exam.

Candidates must note that if one has completed degrees that are higher than that listed in the above-mentioned list are also eligible to appear for the GATE exam 2023. In addition, candidates who have completed B.A./B.Sc/B.Com (3-year programs) can appear for the Joint Admission test for Masters (JAM) 2023 examination to secure admission for the master programs such as M.Sc. in the top IITs across the country.

Therefore, now you know the exam features for GATE, so we shall discuss the problems that college students face while preparing for GATE and help the students know the reality behind these shortcomings.

Problems the college students face while preparing for the GATE examination

1. No time for preparation: With theoretical and practical classes in college, students often complain that they do not get enough time to prepare for the GATE examination. Apart from the studies, various extracurricular activities take place in the colleges, which adds up to the distractions. Along with this, various subjects are part of the college curriculum but not part of the GATE syllabus and similarly, there is the non-technical part of the GATE syllabus, which is not part of the college curriculum. This is one of the major problems that college students face.
2. No Guidance Available: Not all the colleges in India are metro-city-based, most of the colleges are remotely located and as a result, proper guidance and coaching are not available. The guidance helps the students know how to start preparation, what subjects to read, which books to refer to, and much more.
3. Unable to buy gate examination previous year papers and mock test papers.: Due to lack of exposure, there is also a situation where students are not provided access to previous years’ papers and mock papers through which they can practice and prepare for the exam.
4. Lack of decent internet connection: Not all colleges have Wi-Fi, so a weak internet connection is also a problem for lots of students preparing for the GATE exam 2023.
5. Less awareness about the competition: In engineering, some people are inclined towards GATE, some towards GRE and rest towards MBA. Therefore, finding the right place is difficult. Sometimes one is unaware of the competition that he/she may face in the examination. Being a class topper, they believe that they will be scoring good marks in the GATE exam.

Well, the above are some of the problems that college students face while preparing for the GATE examination with college. Every student face some or the other problem(s) and these are some genuine problems that students go through. There is always a solution to all these issues, and one can face them head-on if they are ready to prepare for the GATE examination with dedication.

How students can prepare for GATE with college?

Many students crack the GATE entrance exam with college studies and though it requires more hard work, it is not an impossible task. So, some ways in which one can overcome the above problems and prepare for the GATE examination with college are:

1. GATE Exam Syllabus: Students must first acquaint themselves with the GATE syllabus and match it up with the college syllabus. Make a list of all the extra things that you have to study for the GATE examination and which ones are common. Once this is done, make a preparation timetable in which you can dedicate special time to the topics that are extra in the GATE examination. While you cannot ignore the college curriculum that is not part of the GATE syllabus, make sure that you lay special focus on the part, which is quite common with the GATE 2023 exam syllabus. There isn’t much difference between the syllabus of the two, but yes one has to make sure to prepare for the non-technical part of GATE with special care. One can easily manage their time through a good preparation timetable and do not have to confuse between the college curriculum and the GATE syllabus.
2. GATE Exam Preparation Books: While there is a possibility that one may not find GATE preparation books near their college, you can always order them online through Postal Study Package from MADE EASY Publications. The Postal Study Package will help provide you with crisp study material for your GATE examination and you will not have to buy heavy books to prepare. The students can also check their college libraries for some GATE exam books, as the books that are used as a reference for the GATE syllabus are one of the best books, which are usually available in college libraries.
3. GATE Coaching: GATE coaching is not available near all the colleges. There is always the option for regular or weekend classes that are available in the coaching institutes. Therefore, all the students who are preparing for the GATE examination from college can join the regular or weekend classroom courses in the best GATE coaching in India according to their convenience.
   With the coming of the digital age, online coaching has gained popularity. Through these online classes, you can sit and learn everything related to the GATE examination with only a good internet connection. Therefore, if you are facing problems with relation to coaching institutes, join holiday classes or GATE online coaching classes. You can also take help from NPTEL online lectures to understand any specific topic.
4. GATE online guidance: With a lack of guidance available in colleges, students can contact coaching institutes via call or mail and ask for their guidance. Apart from this, there are several online videos like toppers talk, which are available on the platforms such as YouTube for guidance and a better understanding of the GATE examination. Though these videos are not interactive social media today has made one on one conversation easy. You can ask the toppers, or coaching teachers your queries through blogs, social media handles, or commenting on YouTube videos. Thus, in the digital age, you can always ask for guidance from any professional and receive a reply that will ensure a steady progression of the GATE exam 2023.
5. GATE previous year papers and mock papers: Since the GATE entrance exam is an online examination, the mock paper practice has become easy as the institutes offering the best coaching in India ensure that GATE aspirants receive online mock tests, which can be attempted and practiced from anywhere, anytime. Apart from this, the solutions for these mock papers are available online and students can easily download the same from the institute’s website. There are discussion forums where you can discuss the question and answers if you have any queries related to the same.

Thus, though GATE is a tough examination, it can be prepared for and cleared from both colleges as well as home. All you need is dedication and sincerity toward the exam. The students must be confident about their preparation and when they give the exam they must stay positive. In this age, there is a solution to everything and the location is hardly a constraint to clear an exam.

We hope this article has helped you and if you have any more queries you can contact us or write your query in the comment section. Till then stay positive, stay confident, and all the very best for your exam.

Dear Aspirants,

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