JEE Advanced 2020 Topper: Know how Vendang D Asgaonkar secured AIR 7 in his first attempt

Vendang D Asgaonkar has bagged AIR 7 of JEE Advanced 2020 in his first attempt. According to him, a proper systematic study plan helps in the long run. Shiksha spoke to Vedang in an exclusive interview where he shared his long term preparation strategies to crack IIT JEE, how he turned his weakness into strength, his future plan and more. His aim to get into Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay started from an early age. He won Baba Homi Olympiad gold medal in Class 6. He had also topped the JEE Main 2020 January exam in Maharashtra State. Read below to know his complete success story.

JEE Advanced 2020 Topper Interview

Q. How are you feeling to be one of the JEE Advanced 2020 toppers? Was it your first attempt?
A. I am feeling very great and overwhelmed about my result in JEE Advanced 2020. Yes, this was my first attempt and I am very happy.

Q. What is your JEE Advanced and JEE Main scores for the September exam? 
A. My scores in JEE Advanced 2020 are:

• Physics – 110
• Chemistry – 99
• Mathematics - 117

I topped JEE Main 2020 January examination from Maharashtra state with 99.997 percentile and All India 52nd rank in the exam.

Q. What is the name of your School? how much did you score in Class 12?

A. I studied at D.A.V. Public School, Pune and took coaching from FIITJEE Panjabi Bagh. I got 97.2 per cent marks in the CBSE Boards, with 99 out of 100 in Mathematics.

Q. Since when did you start studying for JEE Advanced 2020 exam? How much time did you spend on the JEE Advanced exam?
A. I started my studies initially from Class 8 onwards with the foundation courses and from Class 11 I aimed for better preparation. In the beginning, the preparation time was less but in Class 12th, the study hours went upto 14 hours a day. I also took coaching from class 10 onwards. I also took coaching from class 11 onwards.

Q. What was your JEE Advanced preparation strategy? Which subject did you focus more and why?
A.  I first made sure to be clear with basics in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics and followed NCERT thoroughly. I practised and revised the previous question papers of JEE Advanced on a daily basis. In addition, I focused on my weak areas. I gave more attention to Mathematics as it was my weakness, which later on became my strongest subject.

Q. How did your parents help in the JEE Advanced 2020 preparation?
A. My parents were supportive and did not allow anything to fall short during the preparation. My teachers and mentors were very encouraging throughout the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period. As it was very easy to get lazy and bored, my teachers gave me new assignments and kept me motivated. I am very thankful to them.

Q: Which books did you refer to while preparing for JEE Advanced 2020 exam?
A. The coaching classes helped to get hold of all the books required for JEE preparation and study materials. Apart from these books, I followed Olympiad preparation books, which were good and beneficial for the preparation.

Q. What is your future plan?
A. I will go for Computer Science Engineering (CSE) at IIT Bombay. After BTech, I will probably pursue MTech.

Q. What will be your message to future aspirants?
A. I suggest all the future aspirants to be focused on their preparation from the beginning. Do not let social media overpower you. Best way to achieve success is to keep analyzing and practising wherever you fall short. Before preparation, make a proper and systematic plan for each subject. Always remember to keep some relaxation time. On the other hand, aspirants should keep a track on the exam properly and evaluate each test they appear for and make the most out of it.

Read more:

• JEE Advanced 2020 Toppers List Out: Check names & marks
• JEE Advanced 2020 Topper: Know how G Bhuvan Reddy scored second rank in the exam
• JEE Advanced 2020 Topper: Know how Landa Jitendra scored 14th rank in the exam