For pharmacy students, preparing for a competitive examination alongside regular college classes can be challenging. Managing academic responsibilities, understanding concepts deeply, and maintaining consistency require a planned approach.
Surendra Pawar's GPAT 2026 journey reflects these challenges. While studying in his third year of pharmacy, he secured All India Rank (AIR) 724 in GPAT 2026. His journey included earlier disappointment in NEET, lessons from his drop year, consistent preparation, and support from his college faculty and Physics Wallah.
Surendra's journey towards GPAT followed his earlier attempts to pursue medicine through NEET. After taking a drop following Class 12, he did not achieve the result he had hoped for. He eventually continued his education in pharmacy and worked towards a new academic goal.
Reflecting on his earlier experience, he explained:
"Maine drop liya tha sir 12 ke baad ki karna to apne ko NEET hi hai MBBS hi karna hai lekin sir hua nahi 53 mere marks aaye the."
He also spoke about the regret he felt after recognising how his earlier approach had affected his preparation.
"Us time aisa regret hua jab maine finally dekha ki mere mummy papa ki aankhon mein aansu aaye jab mera result aaya."
These experiences became important lessons for Surendra. Rather than allowing his earlier disappointment to define his future, he focused on making better use of his time and approaching his next preparation phase with greater consistency.
Preparing for GPAT while attending college meant that Surendra had to manage classes, examinations, and other college responsibilities. He explained that understanding concepts from the basics was more useful than simply memorising important facts.
He described his approach to studying academic topics:
"Sir agar main sirf wahi padh ke gaya sir, actually usko na jad se padhna bahut hota hai. Ekdam basic se padhna bahut hota hai."
Surendra also highlighted the value of studying with friends and discussing topics together.
"Sir ek study buddy mil jata hai ki aap kuch topic padh ke unko samjha de deeply wo kuch padh ke aapko samjha de sir isse time itna save hota hai na."
According to Surendra, discussing concepts with friends helped him save time and understand subjects more deeply. He also emphasised that explaining a topic to someone else helped him remember it for longer.
His experience highlights two practical aspects of his preparation: building a strong conceptual foundation and using collaborative learning to reinforce understanding.
Surendra had been familiar with PW's online learning approach since his school years. When PW introduced its pharmacy learning programme, he was pleased to find a learning option aligned with his existing study preferences.
He recalled his long association with online learning:
"Sir main Alakh sir ko itna purane se jaanta hoon main eighth standard mein tha sir mere pehle to online ki aadat eighth standard se lag gayi."
He also explained why the availability of PW's pharmacy programme mattered to him:
"Aur phir sir 12th bhi PW aur phir pharma mein sir jab PW aaya to mujhe sabse zyada khushi mujhe hi hui. Main dhoondh raha tha ki koi aaye PW ka batch aaye."
Along with the classes, Surendra discussed the usefulness of PW's notes and revision resources. He explained that the PDFs provided after classes helped him revise the topics taught during lectures and reduced the time he needed to spend preparing separate notes.
He particularly appreciated the tables, flowcharts, and short notes in the study material, which made it easier to review complex concepts in pharmacology and other pharmacy subjects. For students looking for similar resources, the PW Pharma Books Store offers a range of pharmacy books to support their exam preparation.
Surendra's GPAT result marked an important milestone in his pharmacy journey. He secured AIR 724 in GPAT 2026 while pursuing his third year of pharmacy studies, an achievement he described as a proud moment for himself and his family.
Looking back at his preparation, he emphasised the importance of consistency:
"Is baar maine ek bhi din skip nahi kara consistently sir jitna mere se ho saka."
He also shared a practical lesson from his experience with multiple-choice questions. With guidance from his college faculty, he learned to eliminate incorrect options when he could not immediately identify the right answer.
"To sir inki help bhi maine kaafi li is preparation ke dauran jinhone mujhe ye tip di ki four options hai. Usmein se aap agar aap kuch nahi kar pa rahe to teen galat option dhoondh lo."
Surendra's experience shows how consistent study, conceptual understanding, revision, and the elimination method contributed to his preparation approach. His result also reflects his effort to continue learning while managing college commitments.
Students interested in other GPAT success stories can read about GPAT 2026 topper Rishikesh Dhage, who secured AIR 49, or explore the GPAT 2026 topper list.
Beyond examination preparation, Surendra encouraged students to participate in college activities alongside their studies. He believed that academic progress and extracurricular participation could complement each other.
Sharing his perspective, he said:
"Mera aisa maanna hai stage pe agar insaan nahi aata hai college time mein sir to wo confidence boost nahi hoga kabhi."
He further explained how students could balance their academic goals with other college experiences:
"To sir, co-curricular activities leke chalo marks aa hi jayenge saath mein. Sir wo sab cheezein aapas mein interlink hai."
His advice reflects his own experience of participating in college events while continuing his GPAT preparation. He encouraged students to give their best to their studies without overlooking opportunities to develop confidence and communication skills.
Surendra Pawar's GPAT 2026 success story offers a practical perspective for pharmacy students preparing for competitive examinations alongside college. His journey highlights the value of learning from earlier setbacks, strengthening basic concepts, maintaining consistency, and making effective use of available learning resources. His experience can encourage aspirants to approach their preparation with a clear strategy while continuing to learn and grow throughout their academic journey.
