My Unconventional Path to cracking JEE, a Pen Portrait of my life

# Year 1 - Year 3: The Quiet Observer Like every other child, I stepped into school, wide-eyed and ready to absorb the world. The early years were nothing extraordinary—just another student in the crowd, learning to write, count, and play. I was an average performer, never really standing out, but I watched. I observed how people succeeded, how they struggled, and what made someone "shine." # Year 4 - Year 5: The Spark Something changed in Year 4. Maybe it was a shift in mindset or just sheer curiosity, but I started excelling. For the first time, I stood third in class. Year 5 was even better—I secured second place. That year, I received three awards, and it felt like I had unlocked something within me. This was the first time I tasted the thrill of recognition, and I wanted more. # Year 6 - Year 8: The Takeover This was the golden phase. I started topping the entire standard, year after year. Year 8 was the peak—I scored a 99.2% (not percentile, but **percentage**). My name became synonymous with academic excellence. Then, COVID struck. School shut down. Suddenly, everything that had built my momentum was gone. No classrooms, no competition, no structured learning—just endless Zoom calls and a world turned upside down. But I wasn’t going to let this be a setback. # Year 9: The Gamble With everything online, I made a conscious decision—**this was my time to explore.** While others were grinding for school exams, I taught myself programming. Java, Android development, Python—I dived in headfirst. For the first time in years, I didn’t care about grades. And, well, the results showed it. 96.5%. My parents were disheartened. Teachers were concerned. I had dropped from 99.2% to 96.5%, and in the final rankings, I stood 17th. But I wasn’t panicking. I knew I had gained something far more valuable than a number on a report card. My CS teacher’s words stuck with me: *"Let him do things on his own. He’ll find a way."* That was all the reassurance I needed. # Year 10: The Resurrection Back to offline school. The pressure was immense—new class, new expectations, and a competitive batch. I had entered the **super elite section**, where every single student was driven. Unlike Year 9, I didn’t completely ignore academics, but I also didn’t grind like everyone else. The results? A dip to **95%**, ranking 5th in the class. Not bad, but not my best. I moved on, preparing for the big one—**boards**. And that’s when the **plot twist** happened. **I topped the entire school with 98.2%.** The shock was real—**even I didn’t see it coming.** My respect skyrocketed overnight. From the guy who "fell off" in Year 9 to the one who crushed Year 10’s finale. For the first time, I felt like I had truly outsmarted the system. # Year 11: The Unconventional Path With the boards behind me, everyone took the same next step—**coaching institutes.** The entire class enrolled. My mom nudged me to do the same, but I refused. Why? Because I knew that I could make it on my own. While my classmates were buried under coaching homework, I was doing something different: * **Developing five software projects.** * **Mastering competitive programming.** * **Building a complete chat service.** Meanwhile, people started taunting me: *"Boards were luck, coaching is necessary, self-study won’t work."* But I stayed quiet. I knew my moment would come. Somewhere in December, I met **B** (we’ll call her B). She was the only person who truly supported me while everyone else doubted me. We got in a relationship quite soon Year 11 results came. **Topped again.** With significantly less effort than everyone else. But the real battle was ahead—**Year 12.** # Year 12: The Showdown This was the year where legends are made. Everyone flexed their sacrifices: * **"No phone. No social media. No sleep."** * **"Studying 13-14 hours a day."** * **"Left all extracurriculars."** And here I was: * **4-5 hours of study per day.** * **Full attendance at school (76% when others had 15%).** * **A Table Tennis enthusiast.** * **Coding projects still running, and won 5 competitions.** * **A solid 8-9 hours of sleep every night.** People laughed at my schedule. *"He’s wasting time. He won’t even clear the cutoff."* But I knew something they didn’t: Recreation and balance weren’t distractions—they were fuel. Meanwhile, my relationship with B was also evolving. She was there for me when I needed her the most, and I was there for her in the same way. We had our ups and downs—some misunderstandings, some rough patches—but through it all, we never stopped caring. We experienced what it felt like to be truly understood by someone. At one point, the distance between us grew, and we both knew we had to focus on our respective futures. We made a mature decision—to step back for now but still remain close friends. And that’s exactly where we are today. No regrets, no bitterness—just mutual respect, trust, and the knowledge that we’ve left a permanent impact on each other’s lives. JEE MAINS arrived.. I went **without hints, without extra effort, without the sacrifices they claimed were necessary.** And then… **99.71%.** The highest. The peak. The undeniable proof that I was right all along. The same people who mocked me? **Now they were rushing to me for their doubts.** The teachers who once warned me? **Now they were celebrating me.** My juniors? **Now they looked up to me as a legend.** Even the one guy who got 99.67%—who spent all his time in coaching, grinding 12+ hours daily—**didn’t receive the same personal congratulations.** He had the numbers, but not the impact. I had both. # The Final Chapter: The Legacy Now, as I prepare for the **Advanced** exam, I stand **two months ahead of the competition.** I’m not pressured. I’m not rushing. I’m exactly where I planned to be. My teachers say they’ll tell my story to future batches. My juniors ask me for guidance. The people who doubted me? **Silenced.** I didn’t just top my school—I **proved a point.** That you **don’t need coaching.** That you **don’t need to sacrifice your life.** That you **don’t have to follow the herd.** And most importantly— **That you should always trust yourself.** Because in the end, **it’s not just about an exam.** It’s about **breaking stereotypes, rewriting expectations, and proving to the world that your way works.** And that’s exactly what I did. (yes I fed the story into ChatGPT first for better phrasing, and I accept it)