How Toppers Excel in Exams: What Separates the Toppers from the Rest?

By Priya Sarin

Study Secrets of Board Toppers (AIR 1, 2 & 3)

  Have you ever wondered what separates the toppers from the rest of the students? Why do most students end up being average and only a few are able to score great marks and make a mark? All students have exams. And they get the same date-sheet, timings and facilities for the exams. And it is a fact that most of the students study quite hard for the exams. In fact, they do the same things yet they get different results. Every one of them plays the game. Some win, some lose and some simply give up. While the rules of the game remain the same for everyone, winners often have their own set of rules and tools which help them race ahead and beat others. Because in the game of exams and ultimately in life, not just the fittest but the smartest person WINS!

  Do you know why? And how? What exactly is the secret of a topper? How is he able to produce such good results?

  These are the questions this book seeks to answer. The objective of this book is to make you realise that you already have the potential to excel in exams. It won't preach you to study hard; rather it will just show you how to study smart. The study and exam tips presented in this book come straight from the horse's mouth. We hope their ideas prove useful to you, and you are able to identify the ones that are best for you. What's more, after learning the study secrets of so many national toppers, you will be able to make your own customised study plan and exam strategy.

 Your road to the boards made easier!

• Language: English
• Publisher: MegageM Sapience
• Release date: Nov 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386455851

Book preview

Preface

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) - 2018 National Toppers

AIR 1 Prakhar Mittal (Class X, 99.8%)

AIR 2 Anshika Gupta (CLASS X, 99.6%)

AIR 2 Writika Sarkar (CLASS X, 99.6%)

AIR 3 L Gokulnath (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Ayush Gupta (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Chahat Bodhraj (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Khushi Agarwal (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Dharani Govindasamy (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 1 Sreelakshmi (CLASS X, 99.8%)

AIR 1 Kshitij Anand (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 2 Anoushka Chandra (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Tanuja Kapri (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Aastha Bamba (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 1, 2 & 3 Pranjal, Ishan & Mehar (CLASS XII)

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - 2018 National Toppers

AIR 1 Koushiki Dasgupta Chaudhuri (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 1 Sakshi Pradyumn (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 1 Saman Waheed (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 2 Aakanksha Rai (Class XII, 99.25%)

AIR 2 Jasmine Chahal (Class X, 99.2%)

AIR 3 Akanksha Gupta (Class XII, 99.25%)

AIR 3 Aanandi Arjun (Class XII, 99%)

AIR 3 Nidhi Dhanani (Class X, 99%)

AIR 3 Isha Bhasin (Class XII, 99%)

AIR 3 Vishruti Shah (Class X, 99 %)

AIR 3 Sarantha Danielle (Class X, 99%)

AIR 3 Abheya Arora (Class X, 99%)

International Baccalaureate (IB) & Cambridge International (CAIE) – Outstanding Achievers

Neeha Gupta (Cambridge IGCSE)

Vinit Jogani (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Gnanaswarup Srinivasan (Cambridge IGCSE)

Sanjot Kaur Pruthi (Cambridge IGCSE)

Vrinda Goenka (Cambridge IGCSE)

Sakthi Sureshkumar (Cambridge IGCSE)

Ansh Godha (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Shruti Rathnavel (Cambridge IGCSE)

Kushagra Jain (Cambridge IGCSE)

Anusha Sarathy (Cambridge IGCSE)

Anniroodh Kumararaja (Cambridge IGCSE)

Aniket Pratapneni (Cambridge IGCSE)

Geetali Gupta (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Tonushree Chowdhury (Cambridge IGCSE)

Epilogue

How Toppers Excel in Exams

What Separates the Toppers from the Rest?

Priya Sarin

Copyright © 2018 The Student's Digest

Published by MegageM Sapience

www.megagem.org

[e-mail]

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, copying, recording and/or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be sent to: priya[at]thestudentsdigest.com

Some toppers like to focus on their own success; others like to help their juniors succeed as well.

This book, containing wisdom from the second type of toppers, is dedicated to them.

Table of Contents

Preface

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) - 2018 National Toppers

AIR 1 Prakhar Mittal (Class X, 99.8%)

AIR 2 Anshika Gupta (CLASS X, 99.6%)

AIR 2 Writika Sarkar (CLASS X, 99.6%)

AIR 3 L Gokulnath (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Ayush Gupta (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Chahat Bodhraj (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Khushi Agarwal (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Dharani Govindasamy (CLASS X, 99.4%)

AIR 1 Sreelakshmi (CLASS X, 99.8%)

AIR 1 Kshitij Anand (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 2 Anoushka Chandra (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Tanuja Kapri (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 3 Aastha Bamba (CLASS XII, 99.4%)

AIR 1, 2 & 3 Pranjal, Ishan & Mehar (CLASS XII)

Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) - 2018 National Toppers

AIR 1 Koushiki Dasgupta Chaudhuri (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 1 Sakshi Pradyumn (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 1 Saman Waheed (Class XII, 99.5%)

AIR 2 Aakanksha Rai (Class XII, 99.25%)

AIR 2 Jasmine Chahal (Class X, 99.2%)

AIR 3 Akanksha Gupta (Class XII, 99.25%)

AIR 3 Aanandi Arjun (Class XII, 99%)

AIR 3 Nidhi Dhanani (Class X, 99%)

AIR 3 Isha Bhasin (Class XII, 99%)

AIR 3 Vishruti Shah (Class X, 99 %)

AIR 3 Sarantha Danielle (Class X, 99%)

AIR 3 Abheya Arora (Class X, 99%)

International Baccalaureate (IB) & Cambridge International (CAIE) – Outstanding Achievers

Neeha Gupta (Cambridge IGCSE)

Vinit Jogani (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Gnanaswarup Srinivasan (Cambridge IGCSE)

Sanjot Kaur Pruthi (Cambridge IGCSE)

Vrinda Goenka (Cambridge IGCSE)

Sakthi Sureshkumar (Cambridge IGCSE)

Ansh Godha (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Shruti Rathnavel (Cambridge IGCSE)

Kushagra Jain (Cambridge IGCSE)

Anusha Sarathy (Cambridge IGCSE)

Anniroodh Kumararaja (Cambridge IGCSE)

Aniket Pratapneni (Cambridge IGCSE)

Geetali Gupta (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme)

Tonushree Chowdhury (Cambridge IGCSE)

Epilogue

Preface

Have you ever wondered what separates the toppers from the rest of the students? All students have exams. And they get the same date-sheet, timings and facilities for the exams. And it is a fact that most of the students study quite hard for the exams. In fact, they do the same things yet they get different results. Every one of them plays the game. Some win, some lose and some simply give up. While the rules of the game remain the same for everyone, winners often have their own set of rules and tools which help them race ahead and beat others. Because in the game of exams and ultimately in life, not just the fittest but the smartest person WINS!

Do you know why? And how? We know that some students study less than others and some students study a lot more than others. But they all study. And they all want to score good marks. But then, why do most students end up being average and only a few are able to score great marks and make a mark? You may say it is because of different intelligence levels. Many people believe that students blessed with better brainpower will leave the rest of us in the dust. However, many studies have shown that intelligence plays a small role in success. And while hard work is important, it is not sufficient to ace the exams.

What we often fail to realise is that the difference between a topper and an average student is not just because of difference in levels of their intelligence, hard work or knowledge of the subject. That is why labelling mediocre students as lazy, dumb and careless doesn't serve any purpose. Blaming students does more harm than good. It takes a toll on their self-confidence and as a result, their results further deteriorate. But then, what exactly is the secret of a topper? How is he able to produce such good results? Well, the key success mantra of a topper lies in his approach towards the exams. And the right approach automatically leads to effective study plan and good results.

Building the right approach towards the exams is not easy. Exams are dreaded by all and loved by none. And it is particularly difficult to remain uninfluenced during the month of the board exams which are wrongly touted as the most important exams of a student’s life in our country. During the exam season, everyone has a piece of advice to offer. From the near and dear ones like parents and teachers to the distant relatives, everyone wants to advise the student. While unsolicited advice does more harm than good and often backfires and causes more anxiety, the right advice from the right person can make all the difference in the world. This is exactly what this book aims to do. It contains interviews of the current national toppers to inspire students and help them prepare for their upcoming exams. These interviews, which I took for a special segment of The Student's Digest, made me realise that there is no better guide than the students who have just conquered the board exams and came out with flying colours. And the results of a subsequent poll Are peers better influencers than elders? proved my hunch right.

The aim of this book is to make you realise that you already have the potential to excel in exams. It won’t preach you to study hard; rather it will just show you how to study smart. The study and exam tips presented in this book come straight from the horse's mouth. Even these toppers went through everything that you are going through, but they were able to overcome it and achieve outstanding success. After reading more about their success journey, you will find that your path to success is a lot easier than you believed. It is totally achievable and doable. Now let's begin your journey to becoming a topper and learn from the best!

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) - 2018 National Toppers

AIR 1 Prakhar Mittal (Class X, 99.8%)

Prakhar Mittal, a trained pianist has topped the CBSE Class 10th board exams with 99.8 percent. A student of DPS Gurgaon, he scored a perfect 100 in English, Maths, Science and Social Studies. The All India CBSE topper lost just 1 mark in his French exam and ended up with an incredible score of 499. Prakhar has taken the Science stream and looks forward to a career in technology. And true to his name, this smart and talented boy’s interest lies in upcoming technologies like robotics, automation and artificial intelligence. A Mozart and Beethoven fan, he took regular walks and listened to music for busting his stress and boosting his performance. In this interview to Priya Sarin, this young lad, who never let the pressure overpower him, has some very insightful tips for you. Let’s learn from the best!

To what do you owe your success? How did your teachers and parents help you achieve this feat?

>> My school has played a vital role in this entire journey. Right from the start of the year, my teachers explained all the concepts properly, cleared my doubts and helped me organise my study schedule. Our school conducted examinations throughout the year, which pushed me to study consistently, and gave me an opportunity to learn from my mistakes. My parents have always been supportive of me and never pressurised me if I did not do well in a particular exam. My mother made sure that I was following the timetable that I had made for myself and was not spending too much time on my laptop, but never let me feel that the Boards were a stress and meant just studying all day long. Lastly, I made honest efforts into studying, did my homework on time, solved a few sample papers and did not leave anything for the last moment; all this has definitely paid off.

‘Healthy students are successful students’ is a proven fact. Good health and well-being makes a genuine difference in students’ quality of life and productivity. How did you manage your physical and mental health during the exam season?

>> I personally am not someone who is in a perfect shape, but as far as physical health is concerned, I try my best to go for a walk or play a sport like football, as regularly as possible. I limit stress-eating i.e. eating junk food under stress, during the exam season, and instead prefer fruits or salads. I believe that in order to be mentally fit, we must keep our stress level in check. My parents were of the opinion that if they ban the use of the television or switch off the Internet completely during the time of the examination, I would start feeling suffocated and instead of focusing on studies, feel more stressed. Therefore, we fixed some studying hours and some time for recreation, during which I listened to music, talked to my friends, surfed the Internet; things I would do on any normal day. Moreover, meditation and sleeping on time further enabled me to be calm, mentally fit and focused on my studies.

In today’s world, there is always more to do than you could possibly get done. How did you create a balance in your life?

>> I am sure that each one of us has had this feeling of I have more to do than I can possibly get done. I would say that it is important to identify our priorities: while there are things we would like to do, they might not be very urgent, and instead there might be other things which are very important. I regularly maintain a to-do list and am conscious of the tasks that are of the utmost priority to me. There have been a few times when that list is too long and I already feel tired even before I start, but I have eventually realised that this is pointless and the only way to go ahead is to get working immediately. I sit down on my desk and start the work on one task, and do not move from there until and unless I finish that, and then reward myself for completing it. In this way, I get a sense of accomplishment when I tick off one task from the list, which is the biggest source of motivation for me for doing the next task.

Achievers tend to lead an organised life and keep their priorities in check. However, it is easier said than done. Can you share any advice with your juniors on the same?

>> Maintain a to-do list, make a rough schedule for the entire day, make a detailed study schedule for the study leaves and ensure that you have all the notes, books and assignments before the exams.

What role did self-motivation and self-confidence play in your success?

>> Self-motivation and self-confidence are no doubt very important. Whenever I manage to solve a question which I had initially found tough, my morale is boosted. Also, as previously mentioned, finishing chapters and ticking tasks off my to-do list further make me feel like work is being done and are great sources of motivation.

Most students study hard. But achievers study smart. How do you ensure that your efforts yield results?

>> Firstly, I would say that while I agree, smart studying is really important, smart studying in itself is not an alternative to studying hard. With that being said, some of the few tips for smart studying would be: see the sample paper to familiarise yourself with the paper format, see whether the questions from previous year papers are direct questions from the NCERT (or equivalent) or not, make a note of which topics are generally tested using practical-based questions or questions which required additional thinking, try to figure out which chapters or concepts are more important from an exam point-of-view (especially in subjects like Science and Social Science where the syllabus is vast), and mark the tough / important questions from the study material and solve them instead of doing all the questions during revision.

Social media is a big distraction nowadays. How did you ensure that it did not negatively affect your performance?

>> As for class X students, there is no significant need of making an account on any social media platform. All our friends are in the same school or society or colony, and we can remain in touch with relatives via call. Social media is highly addictive and it is essential to stay away from it during these crucial high school years. The best way of controlling this will be not make an account in the first place. Whenever I sat down to study, I would keep my phone in a different room and had even switched off the notification sounds.

What was your exam game plan?

>> I reach the exam center at least 15 minutes before the commencement of the exam, make myself comfortable and keep a control on my anxiety (primarily by observing my friends around me and thinking of