You should only compete with yourself: CBSE 10th Term 1 toppers of Apeejay Panchsheel Park

The top position was shared by Manan Malik and Parth Uppal who scored 100 %. Talking about their recipe for success both emphasised that competing with yourself is the best way to improve yourself.

 “Comparing yourself with others constantly puts you under a tremendous amount of pressure and begets negative thoughts. There’s no point in getting into the rat race. Your real competition is only against yourself and your unrealised potential. There’s no point in being greedy for marks,” said Manan.

“I concentrated all my efforts on getting better in the areas where I was weak. NCERT is your Bible for the board exams, read every word carefully. To stay focussed, it’s important to keep away from gadgets during your study time. I don’t have a smartphone. I own a feature phone which I use only to make emergency calls. Also, goal-setting is critical. When you have set a goal in your mind, no amount of distractions can derail your journey,” added Manan.  

Parth Uppal too echoed the same sentiments. “I didn’t aim to score 100 %. My aim was to give my best. Thinking too much about marks will distract you from your goal. Be your own competition.”

Sharing his strategy for the exam, Parth said, “I focused fully on what’s being taught in the class, studied thoroughly the NCERT and reference books and watched a lot of educational content. I stayed away from social media and used the gadgets in a judicious way by watching a lot of academic videos. Having a hobby is vital as it rejuvenates you. To destress myself, I read a lot about the Universe and go on religious pilgrimages.”

Samridhi Gupta and Turvi Vats stood second with 99.6 %. Turvisaidshe enjoys learning without any pressure. “I always look to beat myself and better my achievements. It helps you remain stress-free and enjoy the learning process.”

“I finished my syllabus early, this gave me a lot of time to do multiple rounds of revision. The trick is to not burden yourself when the exams are approaching. What is also important is to do quality studying. When you are studying, forget everything that’s happening around you,” Turvi added.

She also stressed the significance of having a study plan. “Your study schedule will help you split your studying into slots and allow you to be more productive. Taking regular breaks from studies refreshes you and can improve both focus and attention. I like to dance, paint and read books.”

Since the CBSE Term 2 examination will have subjective type questions, Turvi said her focus would be to improve her writing skills.

Gunn Arora, who stood third with 99.2%, said the very first step to learning is paying attention. “During classes listen carefully to teachers and make notes. I follow this practice religiously. My family also supported me by providing me with a conducive learning environment at home.”

Gunn further said, “I compete with myself and not bothered about the outside world. I solved a lot of sample papers and gave adequate time to my hobby – Mandala paintings – to help me relax.”

“As Walt Disney said, ‘All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.’ Congratulations to our dear students who have once again made their school proud by passing the Term I Exam with excellent results. We are proud of you all and wish you luck in forthcoming Term II exam too. May your dreams always come true and you live up to our expectations.”

Ms. Ritu Mehta, Principal, Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park