‘Parents encouraged me to play to break monotony’: CBSE class 12 toppers reveal how their family kept them motivated

For CBSE class 12 term II, which was a subjective exam as opposed to the MCQ pattern in term I, Apeejay International School, Greater Noida topper Kshitij Ghosh had planned his preparation strategy well. “I used many reference books and sample papers which helped me a lot in preparing for the examination. I also took mock tests for different subjects and kept practising Mathematics and Accountancy consistently. Besides, my home tutor’s mentorship was very helpful,” he tells us in a brief chat. For theory, the Commerce student, who scored a whopping 96 per cent, made notes and kept revising them. “In a way, the pre-boards held at school prepared me well for the theory portion.”

While being thrilled about his marks, Kshitij is now focusing on his college entrance tests. “I have applied for BCom in several colleges and am also preparing for the Common University Entrance Test (CUET). My preferred colleges are Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Hindu College, Hans Raj College. I had once heard the Vice Chancellor of DU saying that class 12 NCERT books would be sufficient for CUET preparation. For now, I am revising my NCERT books,” he adds.

Also Read: ‘You don’t always have to give up your hobbies for board exam’

Meanwhile, Jayant Singh, who is also preparing for CUET, is eagerly waiting to secure admission into a good college at Delhi University and then resume his football practice once everything falls in place. “During my CBSE preparation, there were times when I felt low because I missed playing football and meeting my friends,” the Commerce student, who scored 95.6 per cent, expresses. “I look forward to playing again once all my entrance exams are over,” adds the former captain of his school football team.

Having scored 93 per cent in term I, Jayant Singh was determined to work harder and also devote a lot more time to studying. “Earlier, I was studying for six to eight hours but later I studied for up to 10 hours,” he says.

For Kshitij, however, life did not really change much because of the exams. “I followed my normal routine while preparing for CBSE. In fact, my parents encouraged me to go out and play for an hour or so. So, I would play basketball regularly, which helped refresh my mind. I would also meet my friends. That way, I was able to divert my attention thereby maintaining my mental peace. It also helped me to go back to studying with renewed energy.”

Similarly, Samridh Kant Srivastava, who scored 95.2 per cent, made sure to maintain a healthy balance between studying and playing. “I studied for three-four hours and then went to play badminton and football. Even if it was the last day before the examination. I think it is very important to keep yourself mentally and physically healthy. It also helps you study more efficiently.” Samridh is now preparing for JEE Main session II.

Like Jayant, Anurav Singh, who also emerged as one of the school toppers with 95.2 per cent, aimed at scoring better marks in term II. “CBSE term I was comparatively harder since we were new to the format. Although I always scored above 90s, I failed to hit the desired percentage in theory. So, I worked harder for term II. I utilised a couple of weeks to complete the syllabus on my own. I studied Physics all over again since it was one of my weaker areas. I did not give my pre-boards; I stayed home and covered the NCERT books twice. I also leveraged online resources.”

Anurav, who opted for Economics along with Physics, Mathematics, English and Computer Science, will now pursue a major in Economics from Ashoka University. His parents, who initially wanted him to pursue engineering, have been supportive throughout his journey. “One of them lives in Dehradun and the other in Noida. Whenever I had to take a break from school and study on my own for 15-20 days, I would shift there for some time and study in peace,” he says.

Jayant’s parents have also been encouraging him. “My father gave me a lot of career advice. Normally, I contribute to household chores. But during the exam, my mother kept me away from it all and encouraged me to devote all my time to the exam preparation,” he laughs.

Adds Samridh,”My parents never forced me into studying not did they pressurise me to get a certain percentage. They were supportive througout.”

All of the school toppers feel highly indebted to Apeejay for their respective performances. “The offline classes were very helpful. In offline classes, the teachers are more in control of the class, which makes the pace of the lecture much better. We had a meaningful engagement with the teachers,” Anurav explains.

Adds Kshitij, “I would like to thank my school for motivating me throughout my journey. I feel really lucky to have had such great teachers and a principal.”

“As TS Eliot says, ‘Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go…’”

-Dr Sarita Pande, principal, Apeejay International School, Greater Noida