JEE Main topper Vaibhav Vishal's life hack to surviving exams while wearing a mask — shave off your facial hair!

It is not how long you study that matters but whether you fulfil your day's objectives, said Vaibhav Vishal, who landed the All India Rank (AIR) 1 in JEE Main 2021. Vaibhav is an avid reader and finds time to read anything he can get his hands on — from literature to science to fiction to non-fiction and sci-fi.

While this year has been quite unnerving for students appearing for competitive exams with multiple layers of sanitation that almost feel like security checks, Vaibhav said he has figured out a hack that works. "It wasn't unnerving due to the social distancing norms alone, we were seated in such a way that my first centre had only one fan and it becomes really uncomfortable to concentrate if you are constantly sweating. So, I shaved. It's simple but it helped a lot. Especially with the mask on, it becomes a pain if you have a full beard and moustache," he laughed.

On to more serious matters, Vaibhav said it is actually very hard for him to say how long he studied each day. Because he did not have a fixed time. "It's about achieving my day's objective. After that, I can study more if I want to or opt for some reading. I love reading. I just finished reading Mario Puzo's The Dark Arena. But I enjoy reading science stuff the most," he said.

Vaibhav wants to study Computer Science at IIT Bombay. While he does not have a career path in mind, he is clear about his closest objective — cracking JEE Advanced. "This year has been a little difficult for a lot of students, especially with the pandemic and the online classes becoming the sole resource. But it wasn't as problematic for me. The FIITJEE teachers were always available and helped. We set goals and planned towards them. My sister, who is also pursuing her BTech, helped as well," he added.