Read this before you Attempt Long-Term for IIT/NEET

This article gives you an insurance policy for your long-term attempt. A way to have your cake and eat it too.

The problem with long-term (read this slowly)

In the 2025 Telugu movie Little Hearts, the heroine takes four long-terms. Four!!! Her parents are doctors. They want her to be a doctor, no matter what. She knows she is not cut out to be a doctor. The movie has a happy ending.

Real Life ≠ Reel Life.

Earlier this year, I met a real student. She tried five years of long-term for MBBS. From 2011 to 2016 she kept preparing.

Result?

No MBBS seat.

At last she joined dentistry only for the “doctor” tag. Later she wanted to change. She told me, “If I had done a degree side by side, I would not have lost so many years.”

If you are thinking about Long-Term, please understand what this really means.

• Your friends move on. Jobs, PG, foreign studies. You are still waiting for “next attempt”. They are way ahead on their journey while you haven't even started.
• Age and attempts catch up. Some exams have age bars or attempt caps. Lots of government exams have strict age limits. You will learn this too late.
• Memory fades. Intermediate topics feel far away after 1–2 years. You keep revising basics.
• Confidence drops. Each miss hurts. You doubt yourself even when you know the answer.
• Family pressure grows. Fights start over small things. If you have siblings, they will race ahead and you will remain stuck. Peace at home goes down.
• Money leaks. Coaching fees, hostel, food, travel. One more year, one more bill. You have to keep asking for money at home.
• Skill gap widens. Your friends learn Excel, coding, English writing, internships. You do not.
• Resume gap becomes big. “What did you do in these years?” is a hard question in interviews. A Gap Certificate from the MRO or from the coaching institute will not cut it.
• Scams look attractive. Easy-degree agents, fake certificates, shortcut Telegram groups.
• You start settling for anything. “Any seat, any course, just to finish.” That is a poor trade.
• Health and sleep go bad. Stress builds.
• Social circle shrinks. You avoid weddings and reunions. You feel left out.
• Identity gets stuck. You become “the long-term person” in your mind. You will regret the decision to join long-term.
• Comparison kills joy. Your batchmates buy bikes, go abroad, get married; you feel behind.
• Motivation breaks. You study less, scroll more, then feel guilty.
• Bad decisions pile up. Wrong course, wrong agent, wrong college—just to “finish somehow”.

This is why you need a safety net. An insurance policy of sorts. You need to hedge your bet of long-term. Not to drop your dream. To protect your time.

First, what is distance education? (simple)

“Distance education” means:

• You study from home with university materials.
• No daily attendance. No 75% rule like regular colleges. Classes are conducted on weekends but you need not attend. You can study from YouTube if you like.
• Year-wise or semester-wise exams as per the university plan.
• Admission is mostly online. One short visit for original verification.
• Original certificates are not kept by the university. They check and give back.
• Courses are limited (BA/BCom/BBA etc.), but enough to secure your future.
• After 3 years, you have a valid degree for jobs (Govt and Private), PG, and many foreign options.

Now that you know what it is, here is how to use it as a safety net.

Why distance?

Distance Education Degree = safety. If your long-term works and you get a seat in IIT or NEET, great. If it doesn’t, your degree moves forward quietly.

Which university to choose?

You can choose any university that offers distance education but I recommend Osmania University.

Why OU–PGRRCDE? It is Osmania University itself (NAAC A+). The degree does not print “distance.”

A PGRRCDE BA/BCom/BBA looks the same as a regular OU degree.

That is the whole point.

Why not IGNOU / BRAOU? These are “Open Universities”. They say so in the name itself. The word “Open University” on a resume often carries stigma in hiring. People assume “weak student.” Your resume is overlooked and you always get second class treatment. Just ask anyone who has gotten a degree from these places.

Can I write 3 years exams at once? (clear example)

Short Answer: Yes!

Sample fees: take ₹8,000 tuition as a rough figure for Year-1 (actuals vary by course and year). Exam fee is extra each year (often around ₹1,000–₹1,500+ depending on papers). Plan ₹20,000–₹35,000 total over 3 years.

Example: BBA @ OU–PGRRCDE

• Year-1
  • Pay tuition + exam fee.
  • If you do not write any paper, you still get promoted to Year-2.
  • Your marks memo shows blank/failed; those subjects become backlogs.
• Year-2
  • Pay exam fee again.
  • Even if you do not write, you are promoted to Year-3.
  • Now you have Year-1 + Year-2 backlogs.
• Year-3
  • You clear all backlogs + Year-3 papers.
  • If still pending, OU usually gives one or two extra years (batch rule). Finish within your batch limit.

Assignments (important, separate):

• Most papers carry 20 marks of assignments.
  • 80 marks theory paper
  • 20 marks assignment
• These assignments are to be submitted along with exam fees.
• Submit with exam-fee window.
• If you DO NOT SUBMIT, you get zero for that 20. Your score comes only from the 80-mark theory. This means you lost 20 marks without doing anything which is a disaster.
• There are some shops near the college that offer to do these assignments for you, if you are really lazy, you can use their services. While this practice is unethical, I honestly feel this is better than you dropping out of the education system altogether.

This is why distance education is like an insurance premium. Pay a small amount each year, keep promotion moving, finish when ready.

If you want to go abroad

• When you want to go abroad to a country like the USA, a lot of people mistakenly assume that 10+2+4 years education is mandatory. While this is true, they do not know about the small rule that came into existence in 2006 that considers 3 year degrees awarded by certain universities to be considered equal to American degrees.
• Many good American universities accept Indian 3-year degrees awarded in FIRST division (more than 60%) from strong, NAAC-accredited A and above universities, after a formal evaluation like WES.
• Osmania University is NAAC A+, which is a strong signal for evaluators. All universities in India are not NAAC A or above. Many are below A such as B, B+ etc. They are not considered equal to US 4 year degrees.
• With an OU BA/BCom/BBA, you can often apply directly to a Master’s abroad—subject to WES/University rules.
• Always check WES + target university before you apply.

What this degree lets you do (if long-term attempt for IIT/NEET does not work)

• Jobs: admin, operations, sales, bank back-office, EdTech counselling, customer success, data entry + Excel roles.
• Government exams: many require any bachelor’s degree (UPSC, banks, SSC, state boards). Distance education degrees are fully valid for Government Jobs.
• PG in India: MBA, MA, MCom, PG diplomas, skill programmes.
• Abroad: Master’s in foreign countries (after WES/University acceptance).
• Entrepreneurship / family business: a degree helps for tenders, GST, banking, credibility.
• Teaching / training in private institutes that ask for a bachelor’s as a basic filter.
• Career switches later: law, design, analytics—your bachelor’s is the ticket to sit the next entrance.

Without a degree, you get stuck in low-skill work, gig shifts, or odd sales jobs with poor growth. With a degree, you have options.

Step by Step Guide

1. Pick the light stream. BA is the lightest for many; BCom/BBA if you like commerce and/or want business in future.
2. Apply online at OU–PGRRCDE. Keep PDFs of SSC, Inter, photo, signature, Aadhaar.
3. Visit OU PGRRCDE or any admission centre once - they will verify your original documents and grant you admission.
4. Pay Year-1 Tuition fees.
5. Join Class groups. Ask your study centre for the official WhatsApp/Telegram group. Join any unofficial class groups to track dates. If you visit the classes even once, you will find some students and they will add you into the groups.
6. Set three reminders in your phone per cycle:
   • Exam form opens
   • Assignment last date (if any)
   • 72-hour buffer before fee last date
   • Keep checking every month for these updates. If you ask the staff, they will let you know. Most of the exams are conducted around the same date every year.
7. Study light, steady. Clear a few papers in Year-2 if possible; finish the rest in Year-3.
8. Keep originals safe. OU checks and returns them; they are not kept with them like some private colleges.

What about Govt Scholarships? (AP & TG)

• AP (Jnanabhumi): distance/correspondence is not eligible for Post-Matric scholarships.
• TG (ePASS): distance/part-time is not covered.
• So plan to self-fund. The total cost is still small for 3 years.

OU vs IGNOU/BRAOU?

IGNOU and BRAOU are legitimate universities providing valid degrees, but the brand reads “Open University.”

In theory, it should not make any difference, but in practice, it does.

When you apply for a job, that line can carry stigma. People automatically assume that Distance degree is worse than Regular degree.

OU Distance Education degree does not print “distance.” That’s why I recommend OU for AP–TG students.

Final word (tie your camels)

Long-term is a risk. Do not gamble your future year after year. Enrol in OU distance now. If your attempt succeeds, you lose a small fee and gain peace of mind. If it fails, you already have a real OU degree moving forward. Most of the time, students who are taking long term are super enthusiastic and never think of the down side. But being pragmatic is the need of the hour. Most students never make it to IIT/Medicine after long-term, therefore, it is better to be prudent and sign up for the insurance policy called Distance Education.

There is a saying that goes "Have faith in god and tie up your camels." It means that although you might have belief in god and his ability to save you from harm (such as losing your camels), you must be willing to do your part to be careful and tie them up when you go to sleep.

Long-term is another chance a beautiful future, why don't you secure the existing chance so that you avoid all risk?

By

Prithvi Raj Kunapareddi
Founder, 1516

Applicability note: This guide reflects Osmania University (PGRRCDE) practice/policies as understood in Sept 2025. IGNOU, BRAOU and others follow different rules. Always read the latest OU notification and confirm with Director, PGRRCDE for your batch before paying any fee.