Dedication and early prep set these students apart

After taking the Class X Board exams, most students take it a bit easy when they come to Class XI, as they are aware that a bigger hurdle awaits them – Class XII Board exams. But some students ensure that they are consistent in their studies so that their momentum doesn’t break. They continue to be star performers all through. Meet three such students of Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park.

Pursuing Physics, Chemistry, and Math in class XI (now gone in class XII), Dharneet Kaur (scoring 94.4%), Aviral Shukla (scoring 91.8%), and Yukta Kala (scoring 87.8%) share their study strategy and how the school guided and supported them.

Even though Dharneet loves to read and paint, it has taken a back seat since she has been busy preparing for the Boards, first Class X and now Class XII. “First and foremost, it’s critical to complete everything given in the NCERT textbooks. Once I was done with NCERT, I went through my class notes and revised whatever was taught by my teachers. After that, I started solving higher-level questions,” she shared.

But she couldn’t have done it without the guidance and support of her teachers. Her Math teacher was very supportive. “He made sure we practised every question from the NCERT book in class. The same goes for my Chemistry teacher, who is also my class teacher. Both of them played a key role in helping me understand the subjects better,” the JEE aspirant said.

Her parents also helped a lot. “I started early. My Class X exams ended on March 11, 2024, and I began solving Class XI questions from March 12 itself. My brother, who is a school alumnus, advised me that starting early is important. If you wait for school or coaching to start, you’ll already be lagging. That early start gave me a lot of confidence and reduced stress. My parents were also very encouraging and helped me stay consistent,” she said.

Aviral, on the other hand, is academically inclined and interested in Mathematics and Physics. Outside of academics, he likes playing badminton and cricket as outdoor sports, and chess when it comes to indoor games.

“I am taking the JEE, so managing Class XI and the former was a bit challenging. My main strategy for the final exams was to revise a lot. I had to give equal attention to my school studies and JEE preparation, and though it was tough, I think I managed it quite well,” Aviral shared.

The teachers were very helpful, especially in English and Computer Science. “Since I was mainly focused on Physics, Chemistry and Math, sometimes I tended to neglect the other two subjects. But my teachers supported and guided me. They cleared all my doubts whenever they arose,” he said.

Yukta, like Dharneet, loves painting and reading in her spare time. Apart from that, she is passionate about science and space, and my dream is to join ISRO one day as an aeronautical engineer.

“And while managing school studies along with JEE prep got overwhelming at times, there were moments when I felt torn between preparing for school exams and staying on track with JEE. It’s difficult to balance, but I try to stay focused. I’ve realised that keeping JEE as the primary focus helps me structure my day better,” she said.

Her advice to students who want to take the JEE: “Don’t get intimidated by when others start. Focus on your journey. When you start preparing, do it with complete dedication. And remember, self-discipline, the right mindset, and consistent effort will take you a long way.”