u/Acceptable_Ad7745

Hi everyone,

I'm 25M from India, and I'm looking for some honest advice from people who have cleared CSIR NET Chemical Sciences or are currently preparing for it.

I completed my BSc in Chemistry and am currently in the second year of my MSc Chemistry. However, I have a serious problem: my actual understanding of chemistry is nowhere near what it should be at this stage.

To be completely honest, I passed most of my BSc and MSc examinations without properly learning the material. During my BSc, I often relied on cheating than genuinely understanding the concepts. I know this was a terrible decision, and I'm not trying to justify it. I'm now facing the consequences of those choices.

My fundamentals are extremely weak, and I feel like I have accumulated almost eight years' worth of academic backlog. I don't feel confident even with concepts that a chemistry graduate should know.

Recently, I started considering CSIR NET Chemical Sciences as a serious career option. Ideally, I'd like to qualify for JRF and eventually pursue a PhD, but I'm not sure whether I'm being realistic or simply setting myself up for another failure.

I've looked at previous-year questions, particularly from Parts B and C, and honestly, many of them go completely over my head. Sometimes I don't even understand what a question is asking, let alone figure out how to solve it.

This has made me question several things:

1. Is it realistically possible to prepare for CSIR NET from my current level? I'm not talking about someone who just needs revision. I may need to rebuild my understanding of chemistry from the ground up.
2. Where should I start? Should I first study Class 11–12 chemistry, rebuild my BSc fundamentals systematically, and then move to MSc-level topics? Or is there a more efficient approach?
3. How long could it take? If I study consistently for around 3–4 hours a day, what would be a realistic preparation timeline for someone with my background? Should I think in terms of 6 months, 1 year, or longer?
4. Which resources would you recommend for someone with weak fundamentals? I'm considering structured online courses, including PW's CSIR NET batches and other chemistry courses. I need lectures that actually explain concepts from the basics rather than assume I already know everything.
5. How should I approach Part B and Part C PYQs? Should I avoid them initially and focus on learning the theory, or start solving topic-wise questions alongside each chapter?
6. Is pursuing CSIR NET worth it in my situation? I understand that qualifying NET/JRF is competitive and that a PhD doesn't guarantee a job. I'm trying to determine whether this is a viable path for me or whether I should focus on other career options while completing my MSc.

I'm also confused about whether I should continue preparing for government exams like SSC CGL alongside chemistry or temporarily focus on rebuilding my chemistry knowledge. I don't want to waste more years jumping between options without making meaningful progress.

I'm not looking for motivational comments like "anything is possible if you work hard." I'd genuinely appreciate advice from people who have seen students start with very weak fundamentals.

If you were in my position, with a chemistry degree but very little actual conceptual understanding, would you attempt CSIR NET? If so, exactly how would you start, and what milestones would you set before deciding whether to continue?

Thank you.

1. Dark (The GOAT, words aren't enough to praise this show, Absolute Cinema)

2. The 3 Body Problem ( Obviously the 2nd GOAT Even though only 1 out of 3 seasons is released yet, but even 1 season is enough for you to know the awesomeness of the show)

3. Dark Matter (If makers do justice with the 2nd Season then it might join Dark and 3BP and could become the 3rd GOAT)

4. Dexter (I know it doesn't match with the genre of this list but if your remove Sci-Fi and Psychology then this is what you're left with which you can tag as the greatest Thriller of all time, so yeah it needs to be on this list, how can a show this old keeps getting better and better even today as 12th season is ready to be released this year )

5. Mr Robot ( The worst part about this show is that it ends, and holy fuck how could an ending be so crazy ? Should I put it in my GOAT list ? Why not, it deserves to be, a bit confused about its position though)

6. The OA (Definitely a worth watch despite being cancelled after 2 seasons but cancellation seems more like a publicity stunt, high chances of getting renewed for another season, cause the 2nd Season has one of the best cliffhanges ever)

7. Severance ( As the story goes forward your brain gets F'd Up in different positions)

8. Pluribus ( A unique concept that I've never seen anywhere else and that too a great one )

9. Silo ( Every single episode is so appealing which successfully keeps you hooked and mystery keeps getting intensified with the progression of the story that you'll sit for an episode and end up watching the whole season in 1 go without you realising)

1899 also deserves to be on this list but it's been cancelled and I think the cliffhanger is great but it will make you upset when you'll realise it isn't gonna go anywhere

Apart from these there are many shows but most of them either have a slow pace or bad endings or maybe boring acting despite having a good story or are takes multiple attempts to get along with the story so yeah that is all

And yeah if you think your taste matches with mine then I can suggest you shows or movies from different genres aawell, all you've gotta do is to Ask : )