All or nothing: In conversation with Unacademy Educator Sachin Rana
Educators have a profound impact on the lives of Learners. One such individual changed the course of Unacademy’s Top IIT JEE Educator Sachin Rana’s life. To mark our fifth anniversary, we chronicle the journey of Top Educators such as Mr Rana. Here’s his story.
People destined for greatness often march to the beat of their drum. They break conventions, follow their heart and leave those around them in a state of awe and envy. Unacademy’s Top IIT JEE Educator Sachin Rana is one such individual whose unrelenting quest for greatness led him to achieve commendable success at a young age. Born in Mumbai and raised in Dharamshala, Mr Rana credits his father for instilling in him since childhood the need to work hard, earn respect and be self-reliant. “I was always academically inclined and my father got me an admission in Kota to prepare for IIT JEE. He wanted me to leverage my interest and understand first-hand what it means to really work hard,” says Mr Rana who did exactly that and secured an AIR 2409 in IIT JEE Mains 2016. He also secured a laudable 115/120 in Mathematics in IIT JEE Mains. This achievement warranted his admission in the prestigious IIT Bombay where he is currently pursuing a dual degree in Chemistry.
“Although I have an option to pursue another career, I do not think I will venture away from teaching. I knew since the age of 14 that this is what I wanted to do,” says Mr Rana, who credits his Mathematics Teacher for instilling this love within him. “Till Class 9 I would mug up everything including Maths but in Class 10, my Maths Teachers really made me fall in love with the subject. Everything was simplified and I enjoyed the subject and for the first time, I did not just study for the sake of it,” says Mr Rana, who looked up to this very Educator and decided the course of his life. “I really believe that Educators have a profound impact on the minds of young Learners. I want to be able to do that. I want to make Learners fall in love with their studies just like I did,” says Mr Rana, who reiterates time and again that education is the bedrock of success and it is our responsibility to educate ourselves and make the best use of the resources available to us. “Our parents go out of their way to educate us. Even if they do not have the means, they will make sure that they leave no stone unturned and that, in itself, should be a reason for us to give our all and study to the best of our ability.”
Mr Rana has no qualms in admitting that it is this very thought that led him to give his all to his academics and now, his profession. While Mr Rana’s journey has made him an inspiration to many IIT JEE aspirants across the country, he admits that the journey was not as picture-perfect as it seems. “While I enjoyed academics, I started taking tuitions at home purely to get some income but I soon realised that I was selling my soul. I was left with barely any time and that’s when I decided to join an offline coaching center as a faculty.”
In addition to his stint at the coaching centre, Mr Rana also began his YouTube channel where he began teaching IIT JEE aspirants. Very soon, his videos became widely popular and caught the attention of the team at Unacademy. “I was active on Quora and one day, Mr Roman Saini commented on my Quora answer. I still remember it vividly, the message was simple, ‘We would like to collaborate with you. Kindly respond to the email.’ and I immediately jumped at that offer,” says Mr Rana, recalling that although he received an invite, the first demo-video he shared was rejected by the team. However, he incorporated the changes suggested and found his footing as one of the platforms most iconic Educators.
“I always wanted to join Unacademy. Even before I became a member of the team I knew that Unacademy would revolutionise education and that is exactly what it is doing. Learners from across the country and even the world can get access to the best of Educators from the comfort of their home.”
Today, Mr Rana is amongst one of the most popular Educators on Unacademy. He has over 130K followers on Unacademy and 240k subscribers on his YouTube. He is revered by aspirants and Educators alike and he credits this popularity to his content and teaching methodology. “In the first year, I was a little naive and taught what my Educators had taught me. I would teach in the same manner but I realised that Chemistry as a subject has so much scope for improvisation. I began breaking free from that set pattern and I started exploring new ways to teach which I think was ultimately successful.”
He also admits that he has never taken a printed slide into his class. He believes that his subject is such that Learners need to see what he is solving to understand it better. “Chemistry needs to be practical. They need to see what I am doing and how I am doing it.” This approach has worked in his favour and has gained him a lot of Learners who swear by this process.
Of the many memories Mr Rana has created over the years, one of his fondest was when he met Unacademy’s Co-founder and CEO, Gaurav Munjal in Mumbai. “Before I met Gaurav, I was a little proud of myself because I was doing well at a young age but once I met Gaurav, it all changed. Gaurav was this enigma, he was the CEO of a company that was to change the way India learns and yet he was humble and had his feet on the ground. He just inspired me and that meeting brought about a change in me at a very personal level” says Mr Rana adding that his commitment to Unacademy multiplied after that one meeting. “I really enjoy teaching on Unacademy. I love the exposure it gives me and I really like the family of Learners I have built there. I would not have been where I am today had it not been for the exposure I have received over the years and that one Educator who changed my life.”
At Unacademy, we cherish passionate Educators like Mr Sachin Rana and we are indebted to them for helping us further our mission to democratise education. This interview is a part of our 5-part anniversary special blog series.
