When you’re preparing for a competitive exam-whether it’s the IIT JEE, NEET, UPSC, or any high-stakes test-you’re told to push harder, aim higher, outperform others. But at what cost? Is being competitive actually good for you, or is it slowly wearing you down?
There’s no denying that competition drives results. In 2024, over 1.8 million students took the JEE Advanced. Only about 25,000 cleared it. That’s a 1.4% success rate. The pressure isn’t imagined. It’s built into the system. But systems don’t care if you’re sleeping, eating, or breathing. They only care about scores.
Competition isn’t the problem-how you chase it is
Being competitive isn’t inherently unhealthy. The issue isn’t wanting to win. It’s what you’re willing to sacrifice to win. Many students stop talking to friends because they’re afraid someone else might be studying longer. They skip meals because they’re afraid of losing an hour. They lie awake at night replaying past mistakes instead of sleeping. That’s not discipline. That’s self-sabotage.
Research from the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine in 2023 found that 68% of students preparing for top-tier competitive exams showed signs of moderate to severe anxiety. Nearly 40% reported symptoms of depression. These aren’t outliers. These are the students who are doing everything "right."
Healthy competition means using others as a mirror, not a weapon. It means looking at someone who scored 98% and thinking, "What can I learn from their method?" Not, "They’re better than me, so I’m worthless."
The myth of the "perfect" study schedule
Every coaching center sells the same dream: 14-hour days, 7 days a week, no breaks, no weekends. But here’s what they don’t tell you: your brain isn’t a machine. It doesn’t run on caffeine and willpower. It needs rest, movement, and joy.
One student from Kota, who cracked JEE Advanced in 2024, shared his routine: 7 hours of focused study, 1 hour of walking, 1 hour of music, 8 hours of sleep. He studied less than most, but he studied smarter. His focus was higher. His retention was better. He didn’t burn out. He didn’t quit.
When you treat your mind like a battery that needs recharging, you don’t lose ground-you gain endurance. The goal isn’t to out-study everyone. It’s to outlast them.
Comparison kills progress
Scrolling through Instagram and seeing someone post their 12-hour study tracker, their handwritten notes, their rank list-this isn’t motivation. It’s manipulation. Social media turns competition into a performance. And performances are exhausting.
Real progress happens in quiet moments: when you finally understand a tough physics concept after three tries, when you solve a chemistry problem without looking at the solution, when you feel the calm after a long study session. These moments aren’t photogenic. They don’t get likes. But they’re the only things that matter.
Comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel doesn’t make you better. It makes you bitter. And bitterness doesn’t help you solve equations. It just makes you tired.
What healthy competition actually looks like
Healthy competition has rules. Here are three:
- You compete with your past self, not others. Did you get 15 questions right last week? Aim for 18 this week. Track your own growth. Not someone else’s rank.
- You celebrate effort, not just results. If you studied for 6 hours and didn’t finish the chapter, that’s still progress. Reward the consistency, not just the score.
- You protect your peace. If a friend’s success makes you feel small, distance yourself-not because they’re bad, but because you’re not ready to hear it. Your mental health isn’t negotiable.
One student from Delhi, preparing for NEET, stopped checking rank lists after her mock test scores dropped. Instead, she started a simple journal: "What did I learn today? What felt easy? What still confuses me?" Within a month, her accuracy improved by 22%. Not because she studied more. Because she stopped fighting herself.
When competition becomes toxic
Here’s how to tell if your competition has turned toxic:
- You feel worthless after a single bad test.
- You avoid talking to people who are doing well because it hurts too much.
- You’ve stopped doing things you used to love-music, sports, hanging out-with no plan to start again.
- You lie about how much you’ve studied because you’re afraid you’re falling behind.
- You think your worth is tied to your rank.
If any of these sound familiar, you’re not failing the exam. You’re failing yourself.
Exams come and go. Your mental health doesn’t. A rank can be retaken. A breakdown can’t.
How to stay competitive without burning out
Here’s what works:
- Set personal benchmarks, not external ones. Instead of "I need to be top 100," try "I want to improve my accuracy in organic chemistry by 15% this month."
- Take one full day off every week. No books. No apps. Just walk, watch a movie, cook, or sleep. Your brain needs this.
- Find one study buddy who challenges you without crushing you. Someone who shares notes, asks questions, and doesn’t judge your pace.
- Talk to someone who isn’t preparing for exams. A parent, a sibling, a teacher outside your coaching center. They remind you that life exists beyond the syllabus.
- Reframe failure. A low score isn’t proof you’re not good enough. It’s proof you’re still learning.
One student from Patna failed her first two mock tests for UPSC. Instead of quitting, she analyzed every wrong answer. She found patterns: she rushed through history questions, missed key dates because she memorized without understanding. She changed her method. She passed on her third attempt. Not because she was the smartest. Because she was the most honest with herself.
What happens after the exam?
Many students think: "Once I get in, everything will be better." But that’s not true. The same pressure follows you into college. The same need to prove yourself. The same fear of falling behind.
If you’ve trained yourself to tie your self-worth to rankings, you’ll carry that into every stage of life. That’s not success. That’s a trap.
True success isn’t getting into IIT. It’s getting into IIT and still knowing your value doesn’t depend on it.
Competition is part of the system. But you don’t have to let it define you.
Final thought: Win the right way
There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be the best. But the best version of you isn’t the one who out-studied everyone. It’s the one who stayed sane, stayed kind, stayed curious.
You don’t need to be the top ranker to be proud of yourself. You just need to be the person who showed up-even on the days you didn’t feel like it. Even when you were scared. Even when you doubted yourself.
That’s the kind of competition that lasts. Not just through exams. Through life.
