A Decent Guide to Becoming a Decent Engineer

This is part 1 of a 4 part series. This part provides an introduction to the world of engineering, along with a roadmap covering 9th and 10th grade.

The journey of becoming an engineer is a long and fulfilling pursuit. It’s a fantastic choice if you find yourself even slightly logically inclined, and will open doors for you that you can’t imagine in your wildest dreams. From Civil to Computer Science, the field of engineering is vast and limitless, making it an obvious career choice. 

This article aims to provide a detailed roadmap for aspiring engineering students, highlighting all the essential steps, and a few goodie pieces of advice that only someone who has been through the journey can offer you ( :p ). We will cover the importance of having a solid foundation in Maths and Science, how to navigate entrance exams, and then go all the way till how to find internships and land a job. I’m writing this with a very specific idea in mind: How to become a decent engineer, provided you were a decent student. I find that too many advice giving forums aim to make you AIR 1 and make suggestions accordingly. If that is what you want, this is not for you. I believe in a structured method that is not too grueling and will produce maximum results with the least possible effort. This is not for the whiz kids who can solve complicated questions in their head, or those who can read a page once and have everything memorized. 

This is a fairly honest method. There are always underhanded and connection based/ money based methods that can help you out, but this is written purely for those who might not have these means to get what they want. 

Additionally, I aim to only focus on JEE Mains (and BITSAT + private colleges exams), and not JEE Advanced as I am writing this. I truly believe I could have done way better than I did if I had shifted my focus from Advv. to Mains earlier in the game. It would have been 1/4th or even 1/5th the effort, and an exponentially better result. Now, lets begin. 

Most people think that being an engineer in India is a four year journey, but I find that to be absolutely wrong. It is 100% an 8 year journey, and it starts in 9th grade. 

9th Grade

This is where your journey starts, and you will get some idea of the chapters that you will be re-studying in the 11th grade, with far more depth, especially in Physics. Here are the topics that you are taught in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics respectively-

Physics 

• Motion

• Force and Law of Motion

• Gravitation

• Work and Energy

Chemistry 

• Matter in Our Surroundings

• Is Matter Around Us Pure

• Atoms and Molecules

• Structure of the Atom

Mathematics

• Number System 

• Polynomials 

• Coordinate Geometry 

• Quadratic Equations

• Linear Equation in Two Variables 

• Introduction to Euclid's Geometry 

• Lines and Angles

• Triangles 

• Quadrilaterals

• Circles

• Heron’s Formula

• Surface Area and Volumes

• Statistics 

Take a look at the Physics sections carefully. This is repackaged in 11th grade, and will be 50% of your 11th grade Physics, but obviously with far more depth. 

The Chemistry portion is an introduction to the first two chapters in 11th grade Chemistry. 

In Maths, these 14 chapters will form the base for everything you encounter in future years. 

9th grade is purely a simplified version of a subset of what you encounter in 11th grade. I recommend focussing more on Maths and Physics, but especially Maths. I have made the mistake of always having Physics as my favorite subject and found myself being out of depth in Maths more than once in 11th and 12th, because my base was never as strong as I wanted it to be. 

Additionally, your skills in Maths will directly translate to you being faster in Physics and Chemistry numerical. Ask doubts, practice questions, focus on performing well in school exams, and make sure you get a good hold over every topic.

Now, the million dollar question: Should a student join a coaching institute in 9th grade? I know of a lot of people who did, and found that it supplemented their studies, as well as pushed them to a higher ground, and made them get ahead of their peers. That being said, I also know of people who were so burnt out by 11th grade, that they quit studying for engineering altogether. It is purely up to personal choice. 

Personally I believe that it is not necessary, and the 2 years you get in 11th and 12th are enough, provided you give yourself a push in 10th grade to get ahead of your years, but as I said, it purely depends on if you can handle it, and can get good value out of it. I also believe that if it is interfering with your school marks, then it is absolutely not worth it. 

If you do want to find a way to push yourself ahead without joining a coaching class I recommend VMC’s distance learning booklets. They had similar content to what we were being taught in school, with some added information, and a slightly harder level of questions and concepts that would come later in 11th. It’s a decent way to dip your toes into the water. 

10th Grade

Will a similar pattern follow itself in 10th grade? Will these topics also be repeated? Surprise, surprise, yes they are. 

Physics 

• Light-Reflection and Refraction

• The Human Eye and The Colorful World

• Electricity

• Magnetic Effects of Electric Current 

• Sources of Energy 

• Our Environment 

• Management of Natural Resources 

Chemistry 

• Chemical Reactions and Equation 

• Acids, Bases and Salts

• Metals and Non-Metals 

• Carbon and its Compounds 

• Periodic Classification of Elements 

Mathematics

• Real Numbers

• Polynomials 

• Pair of Linear Equations in Two Variables

• Quadratic Equations

• Arithmetic Progression

• Triangles

• Coordinate Geometry 

• Introduction to Trigonometry 

• Circles 

• Areas Related to Circles

• Surface Areas and Volumes 

• Statistics

• Probability 

Class 12th Physics will once again have Electricity, this time split up into 4 chapters. Magnetism will become 4 chapters as well. Light will be there again. 

Chemistry, however, is not repeated. You will encounter only the tip of the iceberg with Carbon and its Compounds, and Periodics Classification of Elements. The most important part will be Chemical Reactions and Equations. You will encounter Balanced Chemical Reactions and the concepts of Oxidation and Reduction, which will be extremely important later on. 

Introduction to Trigonometry will become Trigonometric Functions, and Coordinate Geometry will become Straight Lines + Conic Sections + Introduction to 3D geometry in 11th. 

See what I mean by the journey starts in 9th grade? 

Now, you will be faced with the pressure of Boards in 10th grade. Most schools have Pre-Board 1 and Pre-Board 2 exams, which are carried out well before the actual Board exams. This will be a controversial piece of advice but aim to perform extremely well in your first Pre-Board exam, and utilize the time between the first and second Pre Board to study Calculus. 

Why? Why? WHY? Because when you reach the 11th grade with rosy cheeks and dimpled smiles, 11th grade Physics will give you a tight slap. 

Unfortunately, the way our syllabus is set up is not correct. For the first few months of 11th grade Physics, having knowledge of Calculus is a must if you truly want to understand and perform well. However, Calculus is taught in the second half of 11th grade. It is chapter number 11 in the NCERT Maths textbooks. Even some extra knowledge of Trigonometry is required. 

If you can’t find the courage to take this risk, prepare yourself mentally to do this in the small break you get after Boards and when 11th grade starts. I promise you, NOTHING will pay off as much as having a good understanding of calculus. I’ve never been that great at Algebra, but trust me, Calculus is far easier once you get the hang of it.

Here is what I recommend: buy the Maths textbook for Class 11th in 10th grade itself, and buy the Maths solutions book as well, and find YouTube channels that provide explanations and solutions for Class 11th NCERT books. Even if it seems daunting, and out of reach, or you feel like it will be a waste of time (it won’t be if you do it well, I have a memory of being able to do Kinematics questions which required Calculus, much to the amazement of the girl sitting next to me in class)  stick to it. Just do the NCERT questions, there is no need to run around looking for other supplementary books. You need to be able to just understand how Differentiation and Integration works to tackle some of the trickier Kinematics questions in 11th grade. 

Notice how I mentioned that it’s a good idea to buy the solution book as well? AIR 1 channels won’t tell you that, and most people will tell you to “stick to a question until you can come up with the answer” or “ask a teacher for help, never go to the internet looking for questions”. Bullshit. Prioritize efficiency in learning, never forgetting what you have already learnt, and knowing when to quit. I’m not telling you to just read the question and search up the answer. Spend some time, revisit it later, but know when you’ve started wasting time with a question. Once you’ve seen the answer, figure out where you were lacking in your approach, and wholeheartedly learn a new concept.