Jagannath University admission: the preparation story of Nafiuzzaman, second on the merit list

M. M. Nafiuzzaman had dreamed of studying law since childhood. Even after scoring well in the science stream in his SSC, he chose the humanities stream for his HSC. When enrolling in college, he also picked his subjects keeping university admission test preparation in mind.

Nafiuzzaman, a student of the Faculty of Arts and Law at Jagannath University, secured second place on the merit list in the admission test. From the start he tried to do well in history, Bangla and English. Alongside that, he regularly mastered Bangla grammar and composition, as well as English synonyms, antonyms and vocabulary. This early preparation kept him ahead in the admission test.

The biggest challenge in admission preparation was the large syllabus and the short time available. After finishing his HSC, he enrolled in the full 'Kha' unit course at a nearby branch of Udvash. He attended classes and exams regularly.

Nafiuzzaman would mark the questions he got wrong in exams and work on them separately. By analysing questions from previous years, he also picked out the topics needed for different universities. He said this made it possible to organise his preparation in a short time.

He said the main foundation of his success was strong willpower and consistency. His main principle was 'today's study is not for tomorrow'. He regularly took exams to find his weaknesses and tried to correct them quickly. This habit played a big role in his good result.

For Bangla, his advice is to read every line of the main textbooks, along with author introductions and lesson introductions, carefully from the start of college. The HSC grammar section should also be kept clear. Regular practice of memory-based topics like composition reduces pressure before the admission test.

For English, he said board-book passages should be read with attention. Alongside strengthening the basics of grammar, synonyms, antonyms, idioms, phrases and vocabulary should be learned in advance. Regular practice of freehand writing is also essential.

For mathematics, Nafiuzzaman said that although the pressure of mathematics is comparatively lower in the humanities admission test, the basics of mathematics from classes eight to ten should be kept clear for basic maths and IQ questions.

He believes the tendency to forget is high in general knowledge. So regular revision is necessary. Analysing questions from previous years, more attention should be given to topics that come up again and again.

Nafiuzzaman had no fixed routine. But he tried to study Bangla, English and general knowledge every day. To avoid monotony, he would switch subjects. He attended coaching classes and exams regularly, and finished each day's study on the same day.

He said a few techniques can be followed while studying. After closing the book, one should try to recall what was studied. Questions answered wrongly in model tests should be practised separately. One day a week can be used to revise earlier study. Understanding the pattern of questions and studying in a planned way makes proper use of time possible.

Nafiuzzaman advises getting enough sleep on the night before the exam. In the hall, instead of panicking after receiving the question paper, familiar and easy questions should be answered first. Too much time should not be spent on difficult questions. Care must be taken while filling in the OMR sheet. To avoid negative marking, guess-based answers should be avoided unless one is sure.