Meditation, Doraemon and success at JEE Advanced

Time of India

2 days ago

New Delhi: Meditation, daily chats with parents and the occasional episode of Doraemon—Ujjawal Kesari's formula to crack JEE Advanced may sound unconventional, but it helped him secure an All India Rank (AIR) 5 in his very first attempt.
Born and brought up in Delhi, with roots in Bihar, Ujjawal studied at Birla Vidya Niketan. His father works in placement services, and his mother is a homemaker. His elder sister is a history researcher at a think tank. "I have seen my parents struggle to provide me with the best. That kept me going—I wanted to get into a good college and make them proud," he said.
Starting his preparation in Class XI, Ujjawal stuck to a disciplined routine of 10–12 hours of daily study, giving equal time to all three subjects.
He relied on a combination of coaching and self-study, with NCERT as his go-to resource for JEE Main.
Despite the high-pressure environment, he consciously avoided getting overwhelmed. "I never took pressure from competition. I spoke to my parents every night about whatever I was going through," he said. "Meditation helped me stay calm, and I would watch Doraemon when I needed a break."
On his approach to tough topics, Ujjawal was relentless. "I'd keep trying until I understood it," he said.
His message to future aspirants: "Stay focused and don't get distracted by phones or the internet. These years won't come back."