Commerce Club: Coaching vs. Self Studies

“Is it really important to go for coaching classes or one can crack this giant by self-study as well”

Here is the answer :

I generally got queries regarding whether we should opt for the coaching or can go for self-studies. My below answer would enable and act as guidelines for the students to choose between Coaching vs. Self-Study.

Moreover one has to fathom that self-study and coaching classes are not the sole criteria and deciding factor as far as success in professional examination is concerned. You may find various examples around you. There are many students who have cleared their exams quite easily just by doing self-study and some of the students who have taken coaching are still struggling or vice versa. So the main decisive factor is your honest efforts and commitment towards your preparation and nothing else. Let us discuss certain pre-conditions for self-study entirely based on my personal observation.

SELF-STUDY

Process/Structure of Self-study

ROLE OF TEACHERS/SENIORS IN SELF-STUDY

1. Proper guidance regarding how to start your study from your teacher or from some senior student is very much important rather I would say it is indispensable. Main reason behind this point is a lot of theory content or material in the study module and reference books is totally irrelevant from the exam point of view and only someone senior can guide you regarding this vital and energy saving point.

2. Have regular discussions with your friends or seniors regarding exam oriented topics which you simply failed to understand during self-study. As per my personal opinion this point is very important and plays a decisive role during self-study and gives you and the other person a very good chance to interact with each other in a prolific way.

3. Selection of correct reference books is another essential pre-condition for self-study. It is also advisable to collect all the reference books well in advance. Along with selection of reference books in advance it is also advisable to collect exam oriented notes from the very beginning and stick to them.

4. Kindly consider this point as a serious advice. During self-study most of the time you study alone without interaction to anyone else. So self-study may be a failure if you continue your prepare without interaction with anybody else. Remember a healthy and a light chit-chat can give your brain a much awaited relaxation and energy.

ROLE OF TIME MANAGEMENT IN SELF-STUDY

6. Another pre-condition for self-study is availability of time. Going for self-study may be a bit risky when there is lack of time like you are preparing for other professional course simultaneously or busy in your job etc. In other words ample amount of time to study and superior time management plays an important role in self-study.

7. Time Schedule : Study routine/Time Table also plays an important role during self-study. If you are not able to follow a set routine of study than in that case self-study may be a complete disaster as in self-study there is always a danger of lack of discipline. Main reason behind this probable lack of discipline is that there is no fear of coaching classes or tuition work and you are the sole ruler of your own wish. So in self-study 100% commitment and study routine is very essential.

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR SELF-STUDY THRU CHART

First of all we have to analyze how much time we need to devote daily considering the point that 4-5 months are enough for preparing for this exam. But before answering that we need to know the categories of students. Basically there exist three categories of students 1. Intelligent 2. Average 3. Below Average. Although there is no set parameters/definition as who can be put into which category but a student can very well define themselves basis on their own judgement as to which category applies to them.

Intelligent Category: Student of this category should study 2-3 hours daily
Average Category: Student of this category should study 4-5 hours daily
Below Average Category: Student of this category should study 6-7 hours

Now let’s further analyze above three categories :

Students who are in Job and want to prepare for NET/JRF : These students on an average can spend 3–4 hours daily (Depending on job as well) to prepare for NET but one has to give due consideration also to the work pressure that these students will be facing at their offices because it can make difficult for them to study even during these 3-4 hours.
Students who are NOT in Job and dedicatedly preparing for NET/JRF : These students can give 6-7 hours daily easily after all of their work.

ANALYSIS

BE FOCUSED AND FIRM DURING SELF-STUDY AS SCOPE OF SELF-STUDY IS MUCH WIDER THAN WE USED IN COMMON PARLANCE

8. Let me tell you a very important thing rather a fact that coaching also involves self-study where as self-study does not involve coaching. This point is really easy to understand. Reason behind this observation is that in coaching classes only concepts are discussed once or twice. But you have to understand those concepts on your own by self-study only. A teacher can only teach you the method and discuss one or two examples but ultimate effort is required from your side to understand that method by practice of more questions connected with that particular method. So in this way we can say that coaching also involves self-study and has much wider scope than we normally understand in common usage and without understanding the true meaning and components of self-study it would be very difficult for anyone to clear any examination. Hope you all are agree with me w.r.t. this point/observation.

9. Next pre-condition for self-study is the thorough knowledge of your course content so you must do a small R&D about the course contents by going through the syllabus to figure out what is relevant and what is irrelevant.

10. Do analysis of your strength and weakness as you are the sole owner of your strength and weakness. Only you can utilize your strength and weakness in the best possible manner. You may analyse your strength in the following manner --- if you are more confident in solving practical problems as compare to your approach towards theory preparation and presentation then you must devote extra time to improve your theory preparation and presentation skills and vice versa.

COACHING CLASSES

1. Coaching is not a bad idea at all especially for certain demanding subjects. Reason behind this point of view is not only the technicalities involved in the subject but also the need and confidence desired for the future professional teaching.

2. One of the outstanding benefits of coaching is interaction or networking with an enormous group of people which is very essential in today’s competitive environment where networking is kind of indispensable. Further the proper guidance provided by the professional teachers/tutors along with exam oriented handouts is one of the major motives for students to go for coaching.

3. We must remember one thing while going for Self-study that Self-study is a bit time consuming process and a lot of R&D is involved in it to succeed. In other words Self-study demanded extra time to complete the course for which you have to prepare yourself mentally. Therefore if you find it difficult in devoting the time to self-studies then you can go for the coaching classes as the teacher will already be having the experience of teaching thousand of students and off-course their guidance can save your R&D time.

4. Here we must understand one thing very clearly that the above facilities involve a huge amount of financial burden as far as your pocket is concerned which may not be possible for every parent or student to bear. Another shortcoming/risk involved with coaching class is your interaction with faculty. If you failed to cope up with teaching style of faculty than there may be some serious problem.

SELF-STUDY

As mentioned above self-study is one of the essential components of coaching classes and no coaching can be successful without the input or flavor of self-study. One of the major benefits of self-study is that it is cost and time effective and makes you compatible for the preparation of any kind of professional course. Self-study also saves your energy which is required for coaching classes. Self-study is the real key which is directly connected to your confidence level.

Awaiting your kind responses on the above mentioned points. Please share your views along with your valuable comments/suggestions/guidance.

Handwritten Notes

Paper-1
Basic of ICT
ICT Part-2

Communication

Higher Education

Consumer Protection Act

Polity

Teaching Aptitude

Research Aptitude Part-1

Research Aptitude Part-2

People & Environment

Reasoning Part-1
Reasoning Part-2
Reasoning Part-3

Paper-1 Important Points
Paper-1 solved

Paper-2