Gate Exam

How I prepared for GATE | My Journey to NIT Durgapur: A Rollercoaster of Choices and Challenges

Hey, I’m XYZ from Agra, and this is my story—full of highs, lows, and a fair bit of stubbornness. From school days to cracking the GATE exam

Pushpender Yadav

May 14, 2025 — 8 min read

How I prepared for GATE

Hey, I’m XYZ from Agra, and this is my story—full of highs, lows, and a fair bit of stubbornness. From school days to cracking the GATE exam and landing at NIT Durgapur, it’s been one heck of a ride. Let’s dive in.

Early Days: School Life in Agra

I grew up in Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal, and did my schooling at St. Francis Convent School, Sikandra. I was a decent student, scoring a solid 9.4 CGPA in my 10th board exams. That score gave me a confidence boost, and I moved to St. Conrad’s School for my 11th and 12th. I chose science—Physics, Chemistry, Maths, English, and Physical Education—thinking I’d ace it like 10th grade. But boy, was I in for a reality check.

The 12th Board Struggle

My 12th pre-board exams were a disaster. I scored 37/100 in Chemistry, 43/100 in Physics, 46/100 in Maths, 58/100 in English, and 66/100 in Physical Education. Those marks screamed, “Shekhar, you’re not ready!” I was shook. My parents sat me down for a long talk. They told me to forget about JEE and focus on scoring at least 80% in my 12th boards. So, I buckled down, studying 10-14 hours a day. It was intense, but it paid off—I scored 85% in my 12th boards. Not bad for someone who thought he’d flunk Chemistry two months earlier!

Choosing BTech and Computer Science

After 12th, my parents wanted me to stay in Agra and join a local college to save money. I enrolled at Raja Balwant Singh College (RBS), Bichpuri, where my sister was studying. But a few days in, I realized the college, the crowd, and the education weren’t for me. It felt like a dead end.

My parents had other plans. My dad, with his connections, pushed for agriculture, and I even went to Delhi to give some exams. But my heart wasn’t in it, so I didn’t bother studying and predictably didn’t pass. My mom wanted me to do Mechanical or Civil Engineering and aim for UPSC later. My sister was studying Electrical Engineering, so my parents thought she could guide me if I picked that. But I’d made up my mind—I wanted Computer Science. No ifs, no buts.

First Semester: The Overconfidence Trap

I joined the Computer Science program at RBS, affiliated with AKTU (Abdul Kalam Technical University). In my first semester, I scored 85.3%, landing among the top 500 students in the university. That gave me a massive ego boost. I thought, “I can score this high without even trying hard!” Big mistake. That overconfidence made me slack off, thinking I could coast through.

Second Semester: Chicken Pox and Disappointment

The second semester hit me hard. I got chicken pox and missed a month of college. My attendance tanked, and the teachers weren’t kind about it. They gave me low internal marks, and even though I scored 86-87%, I knew I could’ve hit 89-90% with fair internals. Seeing other students with lower scores get better internals because of attendance stung. It made me question the point of studying. My enthusiasm dropped, and I started skipping college.

Third and Fourth Semesters: The Downward Spiral

My attendance, which was near 90% before the chicken pox fiasco, plummeted to 50% in the third and fourth semesters. My marks slipped to 79-80%. My family was furious, and I was starting to see the reality—job prospects from RBS were bleak, and campus placements weren’t something I could bank on. I had two options: go for off-campus placements or prepare for the GATE exam.

Why GATE? The Ultimate Stress Test

I believe every student should attempt the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering). It’s a real test of what you’ve learned in your four years of BTech. Unlike college exams, where you can sometimes wing it with internals, GATE is pure skill—no shortcuts, no cheating. A good GATE score can open doors to PSUs, better jobs, or top institutes like IITs and NITs. I’d seen students from average colleges score high and land great jobs, so I knew it was worth a shot.

My family gave me an ultimatum: no low-paying jobs straight out of college. They wanted me to aim higher, and GATE was the way to go. I started researching the exam in my fourth semester and got serious about preparation from the fifth.

Understanding the GATE Exam

The GATE exam for Computer Science covers 12 subjects, including an aptitude section (30 marks) with topics like algebra, relations, functions, and sets. The remaining 70 marks are technical, spread across 10-11 subjects like programming, data structures, networking, and more. It’s a 3-hour exam with 65 questions totaling 100 marks.

Your strategy depends on your goal:

PSU aspirants: Study all subjects thoroughly.
IIT aspirants: Skip 1-2 subjects.
NIT aspirants: Skip 3-4 subjects.

I wasn’t aiming for IITs. My target was a modest 40 marks, enough for a decent institute.

GATE Preparation: The Grind

There weren’t any good GATE coaching centers in Agra for Computer Science, so I looked at MadeEasy in Delhi, the top institute for GATE prep with faculty from premier institutes. I asked my college for a leave to attend coaching, but they refused. So, I bought MadeEasy’s study material—books for every subject (about 150 pages each) and sample papers.

I started with programming, my favorite subject. It was easy to grasp and retain. But other subjects? Not so much. I struggled to remember what I’d studied a few days earlier. To fix this, I turned to YouTube. I found Sanchit Jain’s channel, which explained 60-70% of the topics I needed. I also came across Ravindra Babu Narola, but his freemium model didn’t work for me.

A friend preparing for Civil GATE suggested I buy handwritten notes from MadeEasy toppers. I spent 1400-1500 rupees on them, and they were a game-changer. I reduced my dependency on the bulky MadeEasy books and focused on these concise notes. They were easier to revise and helped me retain concepts better.

My Study Strategy

Primary resource: Handwritten topper notes.
Backup: MadeEasy books for tough topics.
Last resort: Online lectures or YouTube videos for clarity.
Avoid Google rabbit holes: Googling topics often led to opening 4-5 links, wasting time. I stuck to my notes and books to stay efficient.

Subjects I Focused On

I skipped subjects like Operating Systems, DBMS, Compiler Design, and Theory of Computation. My strengths were:

Programming
Data Structures
Networking
Computer Organization and Architecture
Discrete Mathematics

Test Series and Retention Issues

I used MadeEasy’s test series to gauge my progress. Initially, my scores were low because I couldn’t retain concepts. Writing detailed notes for every subject wasn’t helping, so I ditched that approach. Instead, I relied on cramming and quick revisions using the topper notes. This worked—my test scores improved.

Time Management Tips

Complete the syllabus twice: This builds confidence and reinforces concepts.
Balance learning and testing: Spend 50% of your time studying and 50% on test series.
Understand the pattern: 60-70% of GATE questions follow a pattern. Study past papers (I used a BDG book with 20 years of GATE questions) to crack it.
Focus on concepts: Cramming won’t cut it. You need to understand what each question is asking.

Distractions and Derailment

Just when things were going well, I lost focus. I started playing Counter-Strike with friends to unwind and got close to a girl who was also a GATE aspirant. By January 2020, we were in a relationship. These distractions ate into my study time, and I could feel my preparation slipping.

The GATE Exam Day: February 8, 2020

The big day arrived, and I was a nervous wreck. The exam’s reverse timer—a countdown clock—added to the pressure. It’s a clever way to make you feel the scarcity of time. I finished the exam, but I knew I’d made mistakes. There were easy questions I could’ve nailed if I’d studied those subjects or stayed focused.

Results and Reality Check

The results came, and I scored 39.95/100, just shy of my 40-mark target. The cutoff was 28 marks, and my rank was 4932 out of ~97,000 students. Not bad, but my family had their hearts set on IITs, so they saw it as a letdown. They pushed me to improve my rank by 2000 in the next attempt.

I felt guilty. The “what-ifs” haunted me. Had I skipped Counter-Strike or not gotten distracted, those extra 10 marks could’ve changed everything. I started feeling like a failure, watching my plans crumble.

Counseling and Rejection

I applied for IIT counseling, but my score wasn’t enough. Rejections piled up. Then came NIT counseling. I got NIT Manipur, but my parents and I weren’t keen on it. We tried another round—same college, slightly better branch, but still a no-go.

My sister suggested I try the special rounds of counseling, where leftover seats are up for grabs. In the first special round, I got NIT Durgapur (CS branch). I researched it—good reputation, placements around 8-10 lakhs. I was sold, but my parents asked me to wait for the final special round for a possible upgrade. No upgrade came, so I sealed the deal with NIT Durgapur.

The Second Attempt: Burnout and Reluctance

With six months left for the next GATE attempt, my parents encouraged me to try again, believing I could crack it. But I was mentally exhausted and burned out. Starting over felt impossible. Still, with a heavy heart, I began studying again. Thankfully, NIT Durgapur came through, and I didn’t have to retake the exam.

Lessons Learned

Looking back, I wish I’d stayed focused and avoided distractions. But I also learned a ton:

GATE is tough but manageable: Plan smart, focus on key subjects, and practice with test series.
Retention is key: Use concise notes (like topper notes) and revise regularly.
Conceptual clarity matters: Understand the “why” behind questions, don’t just cram.
Balance is crucial: Don’t let gaming or relationships derail your goals.

Where I Am Now

I’m at NIT Durgapur, studying Computer Science, and it feels like the right place for me. The journey wasn’t easy, but it taught me resilience and the importance of sticking to my goals. If you’re preparing for GATE, my advice? Study smart, stay focused, and believe in yourself. You’ve got this.

Resources I Used: