‘Why are you still on the phone and not studying?’
‘Keep that laptop down and stop using Facebook, exams are almost here!’
Haven’t we heard these cliched lines at some point in our lives? Indian parents have this thing in their mind that anything besides reading a physical book is not studying. That indirectly implies that you are either on social media or are watching movies and you are up to no good. Look to the heavens to save you, if you are appearing for exams like JEE or BITSAT. Forget social media, even your parents won’t talk to you so you don’t get disturbed.
Have times changed?
Yes, it has, to an extent. We see the parents of the last decade and how they have accepted that technology is the way forward. But in our country, the deep-rooted change is yet to arrive.
Does social media hamper your studies?
It depends how you look at it, what your interests are and what you are expecting from it. If you think that you use social media as a tool to escape studies then the choice and the implications of it are yours. You might think that you are fooling your parents but it is you whose future is compromised.
Social media can be very distracting, as something or the other will often pop up in the feed, that you will most probably like watching or commenting on. If you have the will to overcome the urge then social media can be enriching and a treasure trove of knowledge.
The other side of social media
No matter how adversely you think of social media and how it can hamper your studies, you can’t ignore the positive aspects of the medium.
Preparing for the toughest of exams like JEE and BITSAT can be nerve wrecking for the candidates. There was a time, wherein in such situations aspirants needed to travel to coaching center or reach out to others to clarify their doubts or get expert advice. Now, you can do it by sitting at home, such is the power of social media.
There are thousands of social media groups/pages, interactive websites like Quora, myPAT community etc. where you can clear your doubts at any time (concepts and numericals), ask for advice, seek for inspiration and share your stories. Now, you can form online groups rather than traveling long distances with your study group to bounce off of ideas.
Is social media the new ‘x-factor’ of exam preparation?
Social channels are one big reason why coaching centers are somewhat losing their x-factor. The study shows that more than 52.5% of students cracked the JEE exam in 2016 without the help of a coaching center. Besides online groups and communities, there are live podcasts, interactive webinars which can help you not only understand concepts but clear your doubts anytime, anywhere.
Now, you can have all the information that you want at your fingertips and also save your precious time.
Conclusion
Yes, we agree that social media can be a boon or a bane and it comes down to what you want to take out of it. The intent to use social media matters, especially when an exam nears.
P.S. If you get any help from social media don’t forget to give them a thumbs up!
