With: Aradhya and Shalini     

Recently, Ms Kavya of 11A made to the headlines of the all leading newspapers.

She was recognized by the Cambridge Board for securing 100% in Mathematics in her IGCSE exams that she took this past year. This automatically made her the national topper in the subject. The following interview was conducted a few months after the news was received.

Here are her tips to success…

Aradhya (interviewer): I think I speak for almost all our Manthanites when I say that we were ecstatic when we found out that you’d been recognized by the Board! Achieving something like that isn’t exactly easy, so how did you feel when you heard the news for the first time?

Kavya: Well, I actually wasn’t the first one to find out, which made it a lot more frustrating for me. The result screen was frozen, so I wasn't able to see my marks, but I soon found out after my friend called me and said that I had gotten 100% in my math exam. I really didn’t believe her at first, but all I saw on my class’s group chat were messages about how well I had done. I think that was when it actually sunk in for me, not to mention that one of my relatives also gave me a watch as a present. The whole experience was surreal, and to this day, I continue to be shocked, but grateful at the same time. 

Shalini (Interviewer): I’ve seen the drawings you work on, and they’re detailed down to the very last element: they must take quite some time to do, not to mention that you bake in your free time as well! Balancing those kinds of hobbies and extracurricular, and managing to score well is something that every student aims to do, so how did you balance these two aspects of your life?

Kavya: I set apart about four hours every weekend to do whatever I want. In those four hours, I would make sure that all I did was relax and not think about studying. I usually have a lot of things I want to do, so I often end up doing multiple things at once, like watching a movie and drawing at the same time. It really helped me by making sure that I find a balance between extracurricular and academics as well as it took my mind off my studies and helped me relax once in a while. 

4.  What advice would you give to your juniors (such as us) who are aiming to perform just as well as you did in their Board exams?

Kavya: If you can’t finish your papers on time, make sure you work on your speed by solving a lot of past papers because when it comes to your final exams, you need to ensure that you’re able to finish on time and recheck your answers as well. We all make silly mistakes, and doing this can help you make sure that you don’t make as many in the future. When you study, remember to take frequent breaks where you make sure you are not thinking about studying.Also, I cannot stress how important sleep is. Not having enough sleep can really affect the way you attempt your exams. Oh, and make sure you have a clear idea of all your concepts. If you need help, you should definitely approach your teachers.