FROM GATE RANK 4281 TO ESE 2015 AIR 38 - SUCCESS STORY OF ANKIT SHUKLA

 My struggle for Success (By Ankit Shukla)

After passing out in May 2014 from MNNIT Allahabad, I joined a Private MNC (in which I was campus placed)  in July and while working there I realised that if I continued working here may be I will get a chance to go to Thailand or some other company location, but I will surely not be able to get into any government Group A service. I used to talk to my colleagues in company and everyone would suggest me to leave the job and prepare for ESE. One of my friend (Mr. X ) who wrote the ESE 2014 very well also suggested the same and more than anyone else I myself was gradually getting disenchanted with my present job and started planning a way out.

I resigned in mid-September and came back home. My family members except my father were surprised and critical of my decision. My mother said “ Log sunege to kya kahenge ”. It was my father who had unlimited faith in my decision. I ensured my family that I will definitely clear the ESE 2015 anyhow. Now my family suggested me to join some reputed Coaching in Delhi to avoid taking any risk. But having a bad Kota experience in pre-engineering days and at the same time Mr. X writing the exam so well without any coaching just after passing out, were the two reasons I was reluctant to go to Delhi. I thought if he can do it without coaching why can’t I.

One month passed in getting settled to the home environment at Allahabad and gradually I realised that I have no strategy what to read and how to read. I also sometimes felt guilty for not going to Delhi. My another college friend (Mr. Y ) suggested me to come to Delhi and take at least the photocopy of some coaching classroom notes. It seemed a good idea, I brought a reputed coaching’s classroom notes & printed materials to Allahabad but seeing the voluminous material, wondered,  if I would be able to complete them. I also decided to take a separate room for study near my home so that it was free of any kind of family disturbance.

The time was flying by fast. November had started and I began reading some books and printed notes. Till December I finished printed notes of some subjects while for some subjects I relied on standard books like Sadiku for EMT, Antenna and Microwave. At the same time I was giving online GATE test series in which I was struggling hard to score even 50 out of 100. In January I started reading class notes of communication systems, Digital Electronics and then realised the worth of these class notes which were especially designed for ESE pattern. On GATE exam day was I was feeling confident without much preparation because it was not my aim to top GATE exam. My GATE exam went average. A couple of days later when answer keys were uploaded I started tallying my answer, and I felt let down at my dismal score. I was feeling down for some days. I started writing some motivational article (in which I presented a comparative analogy between human life and atomic structure) on my blog to feel myself motivated, you can even read that article at http://successamplifier.blogspot.in/2015/02/why-only-few-people-are-rich.html .

On 22 February, I went to Lucknow to give IB ACIO exam. I again switched to class notes of other subjects and felt guilty of reading the class notes so late. I knew that there was not enough time I wouldn’t be able to complete all class notes (which at last came true) so I decided to read those subjects from class notes which were time-taking and read them regularly and repeatedly because that time I had only one option read, learn and practice. In March I started practicing previous years ESE questions. I solved them, and marked the difficult ones with star symbol, so that I would take a look back at them at the time of revision. On 14^th March GATE result was announced and guess what ? Yes, I failed miserably, GATE rank 4281. Though I was disheartened but somehow prepared myself to give BARC exam.

In those days I couldn’t sleep properly because the exam date was approaching fast and only 2 months were left. On 20^th March I gave BARC exam. In April started revising my notes and made a revision strategy keeping in mind the last days before the exam, because revision is the most important part of any long term exam. On 20^th April, BARC result was declared and again I failed. This failure shook me off from within. It was a time I had every right to break down but I thought this is the perfect time to rise up and fight, for it is the weak who kneels down and weeps but I was not one of them. I became much stronger after that failure for it is said “When you lose everything, you are free to do anything” and I decided to try my level best after that.  I followed on my strategy diligently and always kept myself on a mission mode. I wrote motivational quotes on sheets of paper and pasted it on walls of my room. Some sheets I always kept in my pocket, for they were a constant reminder and instant source of motivation to me.

Few days before the exam, Mr. X called me and enquired about my preparations. I told him I have done everything possible for this exam but I am even prepared to face the worst. And at last, the day came. I kept calm and patiently gave my exam. During those 3 days I was in strict discipline in terms of food and sleep. After writing the exam I was feeling satisfied and when I calculated my objective paper marks, I was thrilled with joy for it was extremely high with respect to my expectations.

I cracked written exam and during interview my performance was average I got expectedly 108 marks. But fortunately my written marks were high enough to land me to a decent All India rank of 38. That is all about my struggle for becoming IES.

All the best to you for your attempt at ESE. Try to make it your last attempt at ESE by first of all believing that this exam is nothing but a game for you. You just need to follow the rules of the game. There will be failures in the journey but don’t get afraid of them, instead, use them as stepping stones for the next opportunity. Failure in one event doesn’t mean failure in life. Set yours eyes on the next opportunity. The stage is all yours, go and get your dream come true.  

Mr. X and Y are my best friends since college time.

Mr. X = Harshit Mittal(who is managing this blog), the person who actually made me believe that clearing IES is possible. He cleared ESE-2014, just after passing out from college with Rank 42 and is currently undergoing training at Indian Railways, Secunderabad.

Mr. Y = DHANANJAY SINGH(Ex-Design Engineer at Freescale Semiconductors). He is like my big brother. He cleared ESE-2015 along with me, with Rank 12. He did it in his first attempt. Currently he is Asst. Manager at DMRC, New Delhi