From 54% in Class 10 to IIT Bombay CSE: How an average student cracked JEE

Jainendrajeet scored just 54% in Class 10 after spending weeks on bed rest. Three years later, he secured 99.98 percentile in JEE Main, AIR 349 in JEE Advanced and admission to IIT Bombay's Computer Science programme, turning an early academic setback into a remarkable turnaround.Jainendrajeet scored just 54% in Class 10 after spending weeks on bed rest. Three years later, he secured 99.98 percentile in JEE Main, AIR 349 in JEE Advanced and admission to IIT Bombay's Computer Science programme. (Photos: YouTube/@Jai [IIT BOMBAY])For Jainendrajeet, the journey to IIT Bombay did not begin with a stellar academic record. It began with a Class 10 result he could barely believe.He had spent around 40-50 days on bed rest before his board exams, missing classes and falling behind in preparation. When the result arrived, he saw a score of 54%."I checked again, verified my problem number. It was my result itself. 54%," he says in a video on his YouTube channel Jai [IIT BOMBAY].His friends had scored between 80% and 98%. He said he had the lowest marks in his entire circle. What hurt most was not just the score, but the fear of what people and his parents would say. Then something changed. "I want to change myself. Not to prove teachers wrong, not to impress any society, just for myself," he says, speaking about what he felt on seeing his board result.FROM BACKLOGS TO 10 HOURS OF STUDYJainendrajeet, who describes his younger self as an "average" or even "below average" student, began rebuilding his preparation. He planned his days, decided what to avoid, reduced his social media use and focused on educational content. Gradually, studying for around 10 hours a day became normal for him.But he makes it clear that the journey was far from smooth."Maths questions just wouldn't get solved. I was scared just looking at Physics. I couldn't remember the reactions in Chemistry," he says in the video.There were doubts and days when hours of studying still felt unproductive. His response was to keep adjusting rather than give up.THE THREE STRATEGIES HE SAYS CHANGED HIS PREPARATIONJainendrajeet credits three strategies for helping him prepare for JEE.First, he studied before going to class. He would use YouTube to understand the topic beforehand so that classroom lessons became easier to follow.Second, he set daily targets. He divided his goals subject-wise and focused on completing specific tasks each day."Consistency beats motivation every single time," he says.Third, he solved previous-year questions immediately after finishing a chapter.For him, PYQs were not just about testing concepts. They helped him understand the pattern and thinking behind JEE questions.THEN CAME IIT BOMBAYThe transformation eventually showed up in his results. Jainendrajeet secured 99.98 percentile in JEE Main 2023 and AIR 349 in JEE Advanced 2023, earning a seat in Computer Science at IIT Bombay.Looking back, he says the final result can make the journey appear easier than it actually was."Today when people see the result, AIR 246, IIT Bombay CSE, Olympiads, then people think this would be naturally talented. But reality was completely different," he says.His message to students is simple: "Your current situation is temporary but your hard work, your consistency can change everything."(Disclaimer: This story is based on a social media post. The details, including figures, background, and outcomes, have not been independently verified by India Today. The article is intended for informational purposes only, and readers are advised to exercise their own discretion before drawing conclusions or making decisions based on the content.)- EndsPublished On: Aug 25, 2026 19:10 IST