NATA Toppers 2020 Interview

Question: – Hi Aditya how are you.  I am so happy and Congratulations on scoring 185.5 in Nata 2020! How are you feeling?

Aditya- I am feeling blessed, Lucky. I want to share with you when I was in class 12 standard around June month, someone just gave me the booklet that Pahal has given some orientation. So, have just seen the booklet that Pahal is having Architecture Coaching Classes and then only I have contacted you also and I haven’t attended your orientation also. It’s just my destiny I found my ways and I just got the right path.

Question: – Great! So, have you planned or dreamt of doing architecture? What was your dream?

Aditya- When I was in class 11^th, I thought of becoming an interior designer but with all discussion with my family I thought of opting for BTECH and I really regret about that decision and spend my 1 year in coaching Centers and it was horrible year Mam. In the Starting of class 12^th, I realized BTECH is not for me and signed out from the BTECH coaching Centers. Then I thought of going for a better degree So opted Architecture. First, I had a thought of being an architect but then thought may be this course is not for me. Soon thought of civil engineering because it’s kind of similar course.

Question: – So you Thought Architecture is more difficult than B. TECH?

Aditya- also I didn’t know about the exam properly I thought JEE paper 1 only but in class 12 my doubts got cleared when I got to know that architecture is a separate course which is through JEE paper 2 & Nata and it’s a different world and you can do many things. It’s a combination of interior, designing, engineering and Mathematics. So I thought this is the best course of designing and made a decision .I have started to prepare for it then I came to know about the coaching centers then I came to know about Pahal design in Preet Vihar that’s how I entered into Pahal after so many long things of VMC, BTECH, self-doubt.  Finally, I have selected Pahal.  We always have to face the hurdles to reach out on a right path.

Question:  – Absolutely! Hurdle are always there so one should not be scared of it. Good path won’t be smooth path!

Aditya- Actually I used to be so scared of what career should I go for, what should I decide, what is the right path and then things just worked out. And I feel so happy about it.

Question: -Great Aditya. I feel happy for you as well. Even I feel so thrilled after seeing  your scores 185.5!

Aditya – Thanks to Anjali Ma’am she helped me a lot. She used to change her syllabus according to the situation.

Yes, she has put a lot of efforts in changing the syllabus.

Question: – Moving up to the Next question. You were in class 12th when you joined the coaching so you had boards also and were preparing for NATA JEE as well so how difficult was it? How did you balance both the things together?

Aditya- It wasn’t very difficult, regarding mathematics part it actually help me to prepare for boards also so it was even a plus point. Sir was always there for us if you need help in boards just ask me questions regarding them. So, it actually helped me in the boards specially the mathematics part and aptitude part were so easy. It was literally fun. It was like escaping from all those physics and Che mistral part. I would say it was really easy specially for me joining in a weekend batch. It was more like fun with vacation from all those tuitions and school life.  So, I really think that on scale of 10 I would say it was a 4 or 5 level of difficulty that’s it.

Question: – Obviously being in weekend batch also Monday- Friday you have schools and tuitions and Saturday-Sunday weekend Batches preparing for NATA JEE, how did you cope up with basically that thing like your schedule and how did you manage it?

Aditya- Mam I would say that all my schools and tuitions work I would finish in week days only and whatever work I got from coaching that took  around  1 hour only that  I used to complete in weekends only and it was also easy as they also know that we have tuitions and schools also so they have never given us any kind of burden ,so it was easy and if you are considerate about the time you can easily manage it. It’s not like BTECH Coaching that took too much of your time and effort. It’s easy to handle.

Question: – So it’s like you have to prioritize things if you want to balance it together, so the Prioritization things are very necessary in this?

Coming up to the next question as you know, NATA is having 2 attempts in a year and this year both the attempts were in the Covid 19 situation.so how were the attempts, was it easy or difficult, what was your levels how were the questions?

Aditya- I had decided earlier only that first attempt will be the practice attempt only because I wasn’t very sure of the pattern. So, I’ll just gave it like ok. I had prepared for it. I just gave the drawing part just like that and I prepared for the same with the help of the drawing faculty for the second attempt and I have prepared for the second attempt very seriously  because I know this is my final and the main attempt and I had to do it and it wasn’t very difficult as there was no paper and pencil test in drawing so it just got easy this year as we got to know about the principles with the help of Anjali mam so it was actually easier than JEE

Question:  – It’s all about Practice Aditya

Aditya- Yes mam surely it’s just about practice if it’s about Drawing part, Aptitude or   you have to practice and you don’t require too much of it like if you have 10mins one can just revise the names of the buildings or if you have 20mins you can make simple 2D composition . And if you are having the tea break just take the note book of Aptitue revise the names of the architect or awards,  you don’t have to take sit with your books, notebook study as I would say that level of motivation is required in the mathematics but not in the drawing and the aptitude.

Question: – so talking about the changes ,there have been lots of changes like the cognitive skills & PTQ were included, the drawing part were excluded and the physics and chemistry part were included so how did u cope up with the changes? What do you want to  say about it?

Aditya- Since the maths and aptitude part were more or likely the same , to be very honest  I didn’t prepared for physics and chemistry part. I prepare for boards only let see whatever happen it happens because I cant give more of the time on it because I had huge syllabus of maths and I have given upon physics and chemistry and whatever I was able to prepare in the boards I did that only hardly I m able to do 1 or 2 question that’s it, that’s the maximum no. and regarding the drawing part I would say specially the youtube videos really help there are lots of them all teachers advised that to watch youtube videos and there is so many of other contents. Anyways,So in the PTQ type question, you are given a picture like 10-20 options and you have to choose four of them that describes the image . I would say it really requires the concept also like meaning of a every single term like if it is 1point Perspective, 2 point perspective or 3 point perspective you really need to know that.

Question:  – I would like to add on this part out of 125 in creativity .how much did you score?

Aditya- 121

Question:  – How was that exactly happened?

Aditya- Mam that 10-10 marks questions that I feel it was my luck that all of them I just came to know about them, and that what happen is that 10-10 marks questions requires more of the attention because of the depth of the question are way too much. So mam every teacher just always says that you just have to look for the  knowledge over the internet.

Question: – Obervations are very important part.

Aditya- Exactly mam! If the teachers have taught us about the subtractive press question so they are expecting you to google it also so that you should get the knowledge from other areas also. You really need to have that feeling that I need to learn more because sometimes they might have told us little information about a topic and now they are expecting to gather more information that might have skipped. Specially in the architecture course also sir always asks us just read about the Mughal architecture,or Hindu  architecture you need to read about that . I wouldnt just say that just follow these 10 terms or lean these 5 terms and you will be good enough you just have to look for that information ask your teachers or search on internet, wikipedia also, I would say that for example Anjali mam has taught us about principals so what I will do is that ok that I should search it just to know even more of depth and get a deeper idea .I wasn’t very much confident about it just wanted to get even more the deeper idea. You might learn about something. Which will not help today but may be help in the future not necessary in nata but in the designing field. I feel that knowledge is always useful cant say that knowledge is not useful, don’t feel its waste for me whatever you are studying it is beneficial for you, and you never know when it is helpful to you. I mean if you want have that deeper level of understanding  you need to have craving for knowledge over internet books that’s it mam. You cant just learn 5-10 things and dream of scoring above 110 marks, its not mathematics based on formulas!

Question: – Great Aditya! Now coming up to the end of the session , what magical tips you would like to give to the future aspirants?

Aditya- I would say one thing really helped me in the aptitude section i.e. I made flash cards. I made flash cards 50 of them 1 side have the question and another side is the answer mam . I have started with 10-15 only mam it really helped I cant even tell you in this I have written all the names of the architect, Building locations. I have just search it on google and Initially, I felt its totally waste of time its better to learn from the note book. But when its come to revision you just have to go through these flash cards and learn easily the names and the locations of the place. You should tell the students it’s a best and easy way of learning. And if I talk about the drawing when you are giving your exams you should have to practice 20-30 drawings on which you are really proud of and perfect and you should be confident about those drawings that minimum you will get 40 out of 50marks. This much of the confidence level should be there in you. The first attempt of JEE I really didnt practice that much for drawing and get very less marks in drawing and it was horrible around 75 or something in the drawing section .I just improved it so much in the summer vacations . I practiced 2 drawings on daily basis and I used to make a file of those drawings.

Question: -What I feel when the students start the preparation they tend to give more attention on maths & aptitute rather than drawing!

Aditya- if I would say honestly and by this I don’t want to lower down anyone’s motivation but maths doesnot require that much time and hardwork. In maths you should be just be able to do 10-15 questions out of 25 more or less you have to attempt those questions. That really ensures you good percentile in mathematics but one have to be sure about attempted questions and regarding the aptitude there are 50 questions and all 50 questions are doable. I used to talk to sir and said what are you talking about how is this possible all 50 should be correct. Talking about drawing, one should practice it,as drawing is something which is a talent and not everyone have it and if one practice it enough one will have an edge over it. So I will suggest to practice drawing especially in JEE as its not that difficult,it is doable. There are so much references of them on pinterest ,internet etc which can be taken of 2D & 3D composition because when you have references you have an idea that this is something I am suppose to be making.

If I sum up, I would really say practice drawing that really helped, Practice maths does not mean you have to give an hour time over it if you feel like these 10 chapters are enough, just make those 10 chapters more clear. And for the aptitude just make the flash cards or if are you comfortable with the notes only than go for notes only and target 48or49 questions Out of 50 that’s it!!!. In JEE or in NATA, but NATA exam was a very different this time the mathematical part was same, basically the syllabus was the same. I would say don’t give too much pressure on PCM. PCM is really a very small part in the NATA as it just have 22.5 marks for PCM only, If you just even do the 10 questions in it that’s Good enough, But practice more in drawing.

Question: – So Aditya! Among all the three subjects ,which subject is more stressed upon in PCM?

Aditya- Mam I would say maths because in physics and chemistry there are many conceptual based questions which you have already practiced in your boards examination. We should practice for maths as it would help you in JEE also because that is something which both of them have common and in terms of physics and chemistry just try not to forget what you have studied for boards. The level of the PCM is really easy there is no need of solving last year question papers like BTECH exam papers and all that. So, Just stick with maths  and stick with physics and chemistry of board syllabus .

Question: – What about the main chapters that comes in the exam which students should practice and stress more in the initial stages compared to other topics?

Aditya- I would say that One thing is calculus, differential equations,  differentiation, differential integrals etc all those chapters are  related so if you have the grip over the calculus so you must be able to solve all the other 4-5 chapters. Just focus on calculus, that should ensure you 3-4 questions in JEE and if you are able to do coordinate geometry that I was not really able to as that’s one of the most important chapter of JEE exam paper exam.Calculus and coordinate geometry will cover almost 50 -60% of the entire syllabus. Mostly focus on these parts and if you have enough time and understanding of these chapters the focus on Binomials etc. And also focus on that mathematical reasoning and probability  , and calculus should ensure to atleast 4-5 questions in Jee.

Question:  – What about NATA?

Aditya- NATA have really mixed no of questions, Actually I want to be really honest  I never put attention to NATA because I thought that I have studied for mathematics and JEE so I will be able to handle Nata questions also. Regarding physics and chemistry, Stick with the NCERT BOOKS that should help!. Than go for coachings because there you have all the concepts . For PCM go for your your tuitions & school material that’s really enough and talking about the mathematical reasoning of NATA its really easy.

Question: – What about the Drawing sections in JEE and NATA both?

Aditya- In JEE, 2D and 3D questions are there in which you need to see references. I would suggest that Get your drawings checked by your teachers. What I used to do If I made drawing, I go and get them checked by Anjali mam that if you are the examiner how much marks will you give it for the drawing  so this is one of the most important thing. Just wanna say stick with your drawing teachers, their advices are golden to you even youtube cannot give you one to one interactive session.  If you are preparing for drawing then practice atleast 2-3 drawings per week they will be more than enough. And make sure you are improving like if you are making 2 point perspective for the second time then it should looking more realistic than before . I want to share my experience that in the starting my drawing was like a “cartoon” but day by day I improved it by practicing and teachers really helped me a lot in this and regarding the 2D and 3D composition just have the better understanding of the theory and interact with your teachers. Pradosh sir used to say that practicing just 3-4 drawings per week are more than enough. They are giving the exam in January and everyone have time.