As the GATE 2021 exam is less than 30 days away, we’re pretty much sure that you would have fastened your seat belts and your preparation to crack this competitive exam must be going in the top gear. And why not, who would want to miss out on such a remarkable opportunity that can help you to pursue Post-Graduate courses from the country’s top colleges or can land you ravishing PSU jobs directly. NO ONE, indeed!! So, to make this preparation journey more smooth and encouraging for you – we’ve one of the well-known and acclaimed mentor from the GATE community, Mr. Varun Singla, with us who’ll share some underlying aspects of the GATE exam with you that will surely help you to ace the GATE exam.
Varun is currently designated as an Assistant Professor in Lovely Professional University and is having teaching experience of more than 5 years. He has his own YouTube channel also, known as GATE Smashers, with a subscriber base of around 395K+ students. In his channel, he provides free education and guidance to the students to crack the GATE CSE exam and other entrance exams like UGC NET, KVS, NVS, HTET, CTET, etc in Computer Science.
Now, without wasting much time, let’s start the discussion with the expert:
Question-1: From being a college teacher during the day and a YouTuber by night, how has your journey been since the last 10 years?
A notable journey, indeed! The drive to serve others in the field of teaching comes from my childhood since my family consisted of educators. This made me realize the importance of teaching. Eventually, I along with Naina Wadhwa Singla started our YouTube channel in 2018.
We’ve seen the platform growing and developing. And as it grew, Gate Smashers became a place for people to come online & look for help. Our core value is to just make the students believe in their potential. This, combined with the right content hits the bull’s eye! And sometimes, guidance plays a huge role in a student’s journey.
YouTube is the only place where one’s content could live forever. The most important result of Gate Smashers has been the positive impact it has had on numerous lives. The work we’ve done so far has helped people achieve their goals and changed their lives.
Question-2: What inspired you to take on teaching students?
My inspiration to be a teacher stems from my love of teaching today’s youth to be productive & well-respected citizens. Growing up in a household of educators, one might say that I was destined to be a teacher at a young age.
The strong desire to improve my skills & methods inspires me to grow as a teacher. I’ve obviously faced many ups & downs in my teaching career. However, I’ve always ensured that I stay motivated & persistent. So much so, that the positivity within always outweighs the challenges
Question-3: Since the time you appeared for the exam, do you feel that there has been any change in the way students prepare for GATE?
Technology will not replace great teachers, but technology in the hands of great teachers can transform the world! Due to the massive accessibility of the internet, coaching for GATE, which was once predominantly taught offline, has now moved to the online mode too. Thus, the overall preparation strategy has changed owing to the increased internet penetration in India.
Like the offline mode, online teaching has its own way of establishing engagement and interaction between the teachers & students.
Question-4: What do you believe works for GATE preparation: Hard work or smart work?
Hard work and smart work go hand-in-hand. The chief trick lies in the blending of the two. Hard work aims at the quantity and may become monotonous and boring after a certain period. Smart work aims at achieving goals with quality.
Work hard, and you will earn good rewards. Work smart, and you will earn great rewards. Work hard and work smart, and you will earn extraordinary rewards.
Question-5: What according to you are the most important topics one must focus on while preparing for GATE?
For this, I would say that each and every topic is important to crack GATE. But the most important would be Data Structures & Algorithms, C, Mathematics & General Aptitude. But to hit the bull’s eye, you would need to study ALL the topics.
Question-6: Owing to the pandemic, we’ve encountered a lot of changes in the preparation pattern and pressure pertaining to GATE. What advice would you like to give to our aspiring neveropen?
Nothing can hinder you to reach your goals if you have a burning desire. A blessing in disguise, we’re now expected to stay indoors. And that could be made most by utilizing our time well! You can now have access to the country’s best mentors for the GATE exam through an online platform.
Moreover, paying attention to mental health during this time of heightened anxiety, finding ways to cope, and create stability are keys to maintain a healthy environment.
Question-7: What will be the next step for your channel, GATE Smashers?
We’re focussing more on creating a proficient team with members who can provide quality education not only to CS students but also to students belonging to other educational backgrounds. We wish to build an eminent digital platform. For this, we’re constantly researching for the best content and updating the study material as & when required.
Additionally, we’d be launching free GATE courses for the underprivileged for greater access to education. For others, we’d be launching smart courses with an affordable fee structure.
Lastly, we plan to launch a one-stop application for aspirants for a more organized way of imparting education & other resources.
So, this is all from the Expert, Varun Singla himself. Thank You for Reading!!
