Akanksha Gupta – AIR 3
Akanksha Gupta of Bombay Scottish School secured AIR 3 in ISC (Class XII) board examinations. Currently, she is pursuing B.Com (Hons) from the prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce(SRCC), Delhi. She is not your typical bookworm and finds time and space to indulge in extra-curricular activities which includes her role as Deputy Secretary General of her School MUN and feeding underprivileged children as a part of the Robin Hood Army. She was a school prefect, school spelling bee champion and an avid football follower. Like a true all-rounder, she believes in making the most of her time. In this interview to Priya Sarin, she is here to guide you with her wisdom and help you prepare for your exams. Let’s learn from the best.
What role did your school and parents play in your achievement?
>> My school and my teachers provided the best possible guidance for the exams and I owe my success to them. If you pay attention in school, most of your work is already done. Our school also gave us the time and space to study by not over-burdening us with too many exams and allowing us to participate in all the extra-curricular activities.
My parents helped me by trusting me and letting me do things at my own pace. They supported my decision to take up commerce and never pressurised me by having overly high expectations from me.
Students consider physical health as well-being but winners like you that well-being is a broad concept which includes good brainpower too. Any specific tips you would like to share for boosting the brainpower and improving concentration and memory?
>> I believe that physical health is in fact the key to mental well-being and good brainpower. It is important to let your body get some kind of exercise, whether it is playing a sport, going to the gym or taking a walk. Also, maintaining a relatively healthy diet, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep are the small things one can do to improve brainpower and memory. I think that there is more than enough time for exam preparation, and what is important is to make the most of the time you’re putting in. Even if you are studying for only one hour, make sure that you put in your 100%.
Most students label ‘lack of time’ as the main hurdle on their road to success. But your results show that you surely know how to manage your priorities and create a balance in your life. Can you share some tips regarding how you prioritise your life and make the most of your time?
>> Honestly, I never faced ‘lack of time’. I think that there is more than enough time for exam preparation, and what is important is to make the most of the time you’re putting in. Even if you are studying for only one hour, make sure that you put in your 100%. I am not an advocate of studying for fifteen hours a day. It is not possible for the human brain to stay fully focussed for such a long period of time. So by doing this, your mind gets the illusion that you have studied a lot, even if those fifteen hours have not been productive at all, and you end up becoming frustrated and don’t want to study after that. Allocate your study time wisely, study with full concentration during that time and leave the remaining time for other activities.
Self-motivation and self-confidence play an important role in success. How did you ensure that you stayed motivated and confident?
>> I always studied with the aim of performing to the best of my abilities. One technique to stay motivated is to visualise yourself achieving your goals and think about how staying focussed now will help you reach your dreams for the future. Active recall makes studying much easier and helps the brain to remember things better.
Can you share a few study techniques and tips that you followed to make studying easier and fun?
>> Active recall makes studying much easier and helps the brain to remember things better. Rather than just reading the text over and over again, one should make notes, practise questions in numerical subjects, and underline important points. Pushing oneself too much on the day of the exam may backfire and create more stress and anxiety.
Little things make big difference. And exam day is rightly called the D-Day. Any specific things you kept in your mind while giving your exams?
>> Pushing oneself too much on the day of the exam may backfire and create more stress and anxiety. The exam day should be reserved only for going through questions and reading through only the most important things. Staying calm, and believing that you have prepared to the best of your abilities are instrumental in getting you through the exam.
~ Priya Sarin
priya[at]thestudentsdigest.com
Loading ...