Social media has become an integral part of our lives. Most of us have a presence on social media platforms and they keep us connected to the society. Social media has both pros and cons and if utilized properly, we can benefit from it in many ways in our personal and professional lives. Students studying for various entrance exams in India can use social media to assist them with their preparation. Let us look at how social media impacts entrance exam preparation and how students can leverage various social media channels to their benefit while getting ready to compete for entrance examinations like JEE (Main + Advanced) exam, NEET exam etc.
Highlights
- Social media has become an integral part of our lives and it is not only about entertainment but can be put to other productive uses.
- Students worldwide are using social media to supplement their studies and exam preparations.
- Social media platforms provide a very affordable way of gaining access to knowledge, which otherwise may be very expensive when obtained from conventional sources.
- Anyone who uses social media must also understand that everything has two aspects, the good and the bad. Social media can be addictive and counter-productive, if not used in moderation.
Introduction to Social Media
Social media is a category of programs and websites that provide users a place to share content and broaden their social circle. Social media offers modern computer-mediated technology that allows users to exchange ideas, information, professional interests, and other forms of expression via ostensible communities and global networks in addition to posting images and sharing status.
There are many social media channels available online and more are getting added everyday. It is neither possible nor advisable to be present on all of them. The best practice is to adopt the most popular and genuine ones like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Quora. Most of these channels started off for social networking and entertainment purpose but have eventually evolved into serious information sharing platforms.
Social media use for productivity
Nowadays students and professionals actively use social media platforms to enhance their productivity. These platforms provide excellent networking opportunities, personally and professionally without having to leave the comfort of home. There are a plenty of professional networking opportunities through social media. Besides networking, companies are using social media to promote their products and reach their customer via digital marketing tools.
In this article, we will lay emphasis on how students in India preparing for various entrance examinations can use social media to their benefit.
Use of social media for entrance exam preparation
There are multiple ways how students can leverage the features of social media platforms to help them with their entrance exam preparation. Let us discuss the important ones as follows:
- Exam specific channels: All social media platforms have options where students can subscribe to channels helping them to prepare for all types of entrance exams. They can subscribe to these channels and get important updates about exam dates, preparation methods, resources and motivation. Most of them are free to use without any fees. Some examples of such channels are listed below-
1. https://www.instagram.com/prepareexamsofficial/
2. https://www.youtube.com/@lbsnaatheburningdesire/about
3. https://www.instagram.com/iitjee_preparation/?hl=en - Important and timely information: By subscribing to these social media channels, students get exam notifications, fees structure information, form filling details, and other important information timely and regularly. That means the students need not hunt around for information and sitting at home they can keep track of all the updates and can incorporate these details and timelines into their calendars easily. Nowadays, even the forms for entrance exams are also available on social media channels. One such example is as follows.
1. https://www.reddit.com/r/JEENEETards/ - Online learning opportunities: There are many classes available online that help with the preparation of various subjects. There are free and paid, both options available for the students to choose from as per their requirements. Also, to be noted is that there are both, synchronous and asynchronous classes. In the asynchronous mode, the students can attend the classes at their convenience by watching videos and then they can post their questions and doubts on the forum, which are then answered by the instructors. The students can then check these answers whenever they log back in. Asynchronous classes give a lot of space and flexibility to the students to plan their preparation schedules according to their convenience. Synchronous classes are the conventional online classes where the instructors and the students interact with each other in real time. Both have their pros and cons, though.
- Current affairs knowledge: Almost all entrance exams have current affairs knowledge testing rolled into them in one or the other form. Hence the students preparing for the entrance exams need to stay updated with current affairs of national and international relevance. On Twitter, all companies and ministries of government have their handles and keep posting updates about the latest developments in their areas. Students can follow these handles or other social profiles of the relevant companies or government departments to keep their knowledge of current affairs updated. For example, @FinMinIndia is the official twitter handle of the Ministry of Finance, GOI and if a student follows this handle on twitter, he/she will be able to get the latest updates regarding various financial decisions and their impact in the country. The best part is one can also turn on notifications from these handles or profiles they are following to get notified whenever there is a new update without even having to visit the platform every day.
- Motivational posts from successful students: While preparing for entrance exams, the students often get disheartened or demotivated. This is natural. There are many motivational posts from toppers, sharing their experiences and challenges while preparing for the same exam. Watching these social media posts by successful students can blow fresh energy into aspirants’ efforts. The students can even replicate the toppers’ strategies to make their approach more effective. Here is one such video from a UPSC topper.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pdmESKhcS4Q
Here is another YouTube channel that regularly brings out motivational videos for students preparing for entrance exams.
https://www.youtube.com/@TharunSpeaks/videos - Collaborative preparation: There are many online student groups on WhatsApp, Facebook, and other platforms for students preparing for an entrance exam. In these groups, aspirants share their concerns with each other and find solutions together. They upload notes and other study materials which all group members could use. Besides that, these groups also act as a community and provide support to its members and take away the boredom and loneliness of entrance exam preparation.
- Low-cost solution: Learning resources that are available on social media are often less expensive as compared to their conventional counterparts. The reason for this is that the resource providers enjoy large volumes of subscribers online which brings down their cost and they can offer courses at a much lower price. Also, the cost of infrastructure in online learning platforms is much less as compared to that of conventional learning options. Hence, online learning platforms offer courses at a much cheaper price, while providing same, if not better quality. All this works to the students’ advantage.
- Quick entertainment: Social media platforms form a perfect companion for students preparing for entrance exams by not only providing them learning avenues but also by letting them take quick breaks between study schedules. They can watch a video from their favourite channel or chat with friends for some time and return to studying. This way the boredom of studying for long hours reduces and the student can return to studies refreshed, without having to spend a lot of time physically, going out to watch a movie or being with friends. They can be anywhere but still be connected to their communities. This approach is based on the ‘Pomodoro Method’, where you study for 25 minutes, take a break for 5 minutes. It is a proven approach for enhancing productivity.
- Connect with family: Students who are studying at a location away from their family, social media can be a boon to stay connected with the family in real time. In such times, family members are the biggest source of inspiration and social media facilitates this connection without having to spend a lot of time or money traveling or making phone calls.
A word of caution
Excess of anything is bad, and so is excessive social media consumption. These platforms can be addictive and may consume a lot of precious time if not handled properly. The students must understand how to manage their time on social media platforms, balancing between productive time and entertainment. Another point to be kept in mind is that social media is to be used to supplement your conventional methods of study and not as a complete replacement to conventional study methods to prepare for any entrance examination.
Conclusion
Social media sites have developed into valuable instruments for marketing, communication, and education, and they play a significant role in every student’s life. Accessing & sharing information and communicating via social media is frequently simpler and more convenient than any other mode of communication. It is adding tremendous value to the preparation efforts put in by students, while preparing for entrance exams.
It is however said that the use of technology can be beneficial only if we leverage its features to our benefit. If left untamed, it can quickly take over and start controlling our lives and we could start falling in the downward spiral of technology addiction. If you are vigilant enough, and learn to use it well, social media technology can do wonders for you and add a lot of value in your entrance exam preparation.
