Future is unpredictable but the present is in your hands and you have the complete authority on what you do :)People have done it in the past, there are many success stories, where people cleared and even topped in competitive examinations, with self-preparation. So, it is quite possible, you just need to work hard to do it.You can arrange for all the study material through teachers & friends and can manage your studies accordingly. Prepare as per the syllabus and keep attempting various practice and mock tests, to analyze yourself and be updated with the competitive environment. Tests are considered to be the best possible way for revision, as they test your complete syllabus in a limited span of time.It's just that, times have changed and situations are not the same. GATE Exam is now conducted online and there are many online tools that need some time to adapt to these tools. So, along with the preparation, you need to practice some online test series, such that you adapt with online tools like Virtual Calculator & all, with time. There are many platforms offering free online test series, like MadeEasy, EduRev, GateForum and all such platforms.The best online free test series for GATE is EduRev-ECP online test series for the students of Mechanical, Civil, Electrical & Electronics as it offers chapter-wise tests on individual topics and complete Mock Tests for GATE 2017 as per the final syllabus.Link to the GATE Online Test Series 2017 - https://edurev.in/courses/137_GATE-2016-Online-Test-SeriesAll the best for the preparation and you can offer me a treat when you clear the exam with great marks :)