Introduction

Preparing for a scholarship interview, especially for a competitive examination like JBNSTS, can be as daunting as it is exciting. This article aims to demystify the common types of questions you can expect and provide useful insights from a candidate’s personal experience. Whether you are pursuing Chemical Engineering or another discipline, understanding the expectations and practice will significantly increase your chances of success.

Experience with the Interview

My journey included clearing the written exam, which was more of a review of my class 11 and 12 knowledge. The written test focused on topics from Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. The interview, however, was where I faced my initial anxieties and gained valuable experience.

Thermodynamics and Chemical Engineering

Interviewers began with fundamental concepts to evaluate your understanding of core principles. For those in Chemical Engineering, thermodynamics is a cornerstone.

Questions and Answers

State the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Initial Misunderstanding: I answered about enthalpy instead of entropy, showing a common confusion with thermodynamic terms. Correct Response: I was corrected and then explained entropy. Is there any natural phenomenon where the entropy decreases instead of increasing? Foolish Answer: My initial response was incorrect, highlighting my lack of precision in understanding thermodynamics. What happens when a cup of hot water turns cold? Does entropy decrease or increase? Correct Answer: I realized that entropy decreases as the hot water cools, but entropy also increases in the surroundings. A complete explanation would involve Gibbs free energy. Can you explain this phenomenon using thermodynamics? My Response: I stated that we could use Gibbs free energy, which accounts for both enthalpy changes and entropy, but I struggled with the specifics. Go to the board. Write KIKOH and KCl and tell something about the order of their conductance. I was clueless, despite being given multiple hints. It's crucial to review your course materials thoroughly. Draw the graph of activation energy. Correctly drew the graph, showing my ability to sketch basic thermodynamic concepts. Now, what is a catalyst, and draw the activation energy curve in the presence of a catalyst. Correct Response: I explained that a catalyst lowers the activation energy by forming an intermediate with lower enthalpy. Why is the activation energy lowered in the presence of a catalyst? My Recollection: I remembered vaguely and explained the enthalpy of formation, which was partially correct. Write the Arrhenius equation. Correctly wrote the equation. What is the dimension of A in the Arrhenius equation? Response: I said it would be equal to the dimensions of k, but I couldn't fully explain my reasoning. Why is that the case? Explanation: I stated that since e raised to a power of a constant yields a dimensionless constant, and RT has the same dimensions as Ea, they cancel each other out.

Mathematics

Following the thermodynamics and chemistry questions, the interview delved into mathematics, with more complex concepts expected.

Questions and Answers

Write 3 equations in four variables. Response: I wrote 3 equations with 4 variables and admitted that such a system does not have a unique solution. Will this system of equations have a unique solution? Yes, Response: I recognized it would not. Why not? I couldn't answer, showing a gap in my knowledge. Have you done equations with four variables earlier? No, Response: I admitted that I had not. Okay, so if we have 2 equations with 3 variables, will we get a unique solution? No, Response: I again did not have a clear answer, but I recognized that the intersection would not form a point. Why not? My Response: I finally remembered that a 3 variable equation represents a plane, not a line. Explain a bit more. What will you get from a 3 variable equation? Correct Response: A plane. Yes, right. So when two planes intersect, what will you get? Correct Response: A line. Yes, so is there any unique point? No, Response: I recognized that there wouldn't be a unique point of intersection. Yes, that is the reason why we do not get a unique solution from 2 equations. Agreed: I confirmed the reasoning.

Physics

The final segment focused on physics, specifically the application of thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Questions and Answers

As you are a future chemical engineer, let's start with fluids. So, what is a fluid? Correct Response: A fluid is anything that can flow and does not have a fixed shape. Know about buoyancy, right? Archimedes principle, and all? Yes, Response: I affirmed that I was familiar with buoyancy and Archimedes principle. So when a rocket lifts off, which principle is at use here? Newton's third law, action and reaction force. Initial Misunderstanding: I didn't recognize the role of buoyancy, but I acknowledged that Newton's third law applies. Yes, but apart from that, buoyancy is also used here. Correct Response: I realized buoyancy is crucial, but my initial response was incorrect. Okay, we are done. You can leave now. Final Thoughts: The interview concluded swiftly, and I was handed Dairy Milk as a gesture of encouragement.

Lessons and Tips

Taking the interview experience into consideration, here are some valuable tips for preparing for a scholarship interview:

Thorough Preparation: Focus on fundamental concepts and practice. Do not hesitate to review your course materials even if you think they are clear. Humility and Honesty: Maintain a humble and trustworthy demeanor. Even if you don’t know the answer, explain your thought process and show that you are learning. Respect and Gratitude: Show respect to your interviewers by answering with gratitude and respect. Dress well and maintain a professional body language.

Your success in the interview phase of JBNSTS Scholarship largely depends on your logical and analytical skills, combined with a confident and respectful demeanor. Best of luck!