Sakthi Sureshkumar
Sakthi Sureshkumar, a student of Vaels International School became the World Topper in Environmental Management and the State Topper in Biology and Chemistry in her tenth grade Cambridge IGCSE examinations. Vaels International School was created to fire the imagination of children from a young age and allow the students to be thinkers, innovators and problem solvers. And Sakthi Sureshkumar is a perfect example of it. With great clarity of thought and an amazing result to back it up, this young girl is truly a winner in the making. A true all-rounder, she is a grade 8 pianist, a lifeguard and loves to play tennis in her free time. Her success mantra lies in setting a routine. She believes the best way to excel in exams is to make a timetable and follow it. In this interview to Priya Sarin, Sakthi will guide you on how to create a perfect timetable and share some other interesting and innovative study techniques.
School is the basic foundation on which the pillars of a student’s success are built. How did your teachers and parents help you in your preparation for the board exams?
>> To say that I’m the only reason for my own success would be a downright lie, and I can’t even begin to explain how much support and love I was given from all sides. No matter what time it was – 6 in the morning or 11 at night – I would call my teachers for a doubt or advice, a little guidance, and what I received was all love and affection, and not even a hint of annoyance. My teachers have definitely been my pillar of support and their constant belief in me and motivation was more than anything I could have asked for. As for my family, the truth is that they went through a lot more than I did. Everything I did was for myself, so it isn’t considered a sacrifice, but my family did all that and so much more just so that I could reach my full potential and be the person that I am today, I honestly couldn’t have pushed through all the trouble, worry and doubt without them by my side, always reassuring me and trusting in my abilities even when I lost hope. They were the people who kept me sane in the times when I thought I was losing my mind and I couldn’t ask for a more perfect family to help me through life! Always remember, though, to trust yourself and be grateful for the people around you, because when the going gets tough they will be the ones to lift you up and help you to the finish line.
Can you share a few study techniques and tips that you followed?
>> Though each and every individual will have a different answer to this question, what helped me most was ROUTINE! I found it very helpful to make a timetable and follow it. Keep your timetable as a challenge, see if you can complete it or maybe even do a little more! However, always remember that the quality of your study is very important and never compromise quality for quantity. It’s always easier if you get into a routine of what to do and when to do it especially for the month before the board exam. But remember, there will be days when you just need a sudden break from everything, or you may not finish, and that’s perfectly okay! Your timetable is just a way of making sure you are organized before the exams, to make sure you don’t have the added pressure of keeping track of what you’ve revised and what you have left. I remember, especially the month before boards, that I had a million other things running through my head and looking at my timetable to see what I had left made things so much easier and tension free. If you don’t finish the due for the day, always remember that there is tomorrow. Don’t push yourself too hard for two days and end up needing a three-day break. The key to a perfect timetable is not to clog up too much time with just studying. Spacing is very important and a lot of people make the mistake or filling all the time with studies that they forget about breaks and other fun stuff. Remember that taking a break is not a waste of time and it is as important as studying, because only if you make a balanced timetable you know you can follow it. Take it slow and steady and always love what you’re doing, because when you love what you’re doing, nobody can beat you at it.
Many students find it hard to balance academics and co-curricular activities. And hence, they tend to sacrifice one for the sake of another. But an all-rounder like you can surely share some tips on how to keep a balance in life and keep learning new things?
>> My only piece of advice in this context is to never sacrifice one thing for another, and never mix two different things together. I guess what I’m trying to say is that academics is never more important than your hobbies, and vice versa, even though other people might tell you otherwise. One day when you look back on how far you’ve come, it would be a bummer if all you saw of your childhood was studying. Just remember that all of these small things are a part of the one big thing that is your life. I’m a grade 8 pianist, a lifeguard and I love to play tennis in my free time and I definitely didn’t let my board exams take those things away from me. I love studying too and at the beginning it was difficult to balance everything equally. But the tip that I learned as time went on was to do just one thing at a time. When you’re playing tennis, don’t think about physics and while studying chemistry don’t think about swimming. The only way to balance everything together is if you give equal importance to everything and learn how to focus on the task at hand without getting distracted. I personally feel that fitting my hobbies into my schedule before board exams was a key factor in my success, since it really helped me get my mind off studying for a while and direct my energy into something that I loved to do. Just ignoring your hobbies will only make you crave them more and it will be an even bigger distraction than actually doing your hobbies. Plus, doing something else every once in a while made sure that I never lost the interest to study and it kept the fire that motivated me alive! Every minute is important and it’s not just academics that play a crucial role in shaping you as a person to get you ready for the world at large.
Most students forget what they have studied in just a few days. Any tips for improving the memory and ensuring better retain and recall?
>> Active recall is definitely a big factor that helps you retain all the information. For those people who don’t know, active recall is when you study something and try to recall the key points a few days later. Where most people struggle with respect to active recall is how far apart to space your active recall sessions and also how many times to recall one thing. After studying one thing, I always do active recall the next day, then the third day and then a week later, two weeks and so on. Those are pretty even periods and the time to actively recall should decrease as you go on, as you retain more information. Other than that, if you read the chapter twice thoroughly then for an IGCSE level that should be enough to retain most key points. I always have a habit of trying to understand how something works, and I map everything as a mental image, like visual memory inside my head. Saving things in your brain as a mental image always helps when you’re actively recalling. When understanding how something worked rather than just knowing what it is, I felt that my brain retained the deeper understanding and knowledge that I’d found and so I didn’t forget what I’d read. Also, beyond anything else, the tip to remembering anything is just believing that you can remember it. Your brain is a very powerful machine and it’s a wonder what a little bit of belief in yourself can do to it!
There is an increase in the levels of stress and anxiety among teenagers. Any tips for dealing with negative emotions and ensuring that they don’t come in the way of your success march?
>> Just remember that it’s just a passing phase. I went through it, everybody does. I found it really helpful to pour all my feelings into my mum and dad, who would sit and patiently listen. My best friend used to use sports as a way to ‘let it all out’. You will feel dejected, but just remember you are worth so much more than what your stress and anxiety tell you that you are worth. Never stop believing in yourself. Talk to a friend or family member about how you feel. I always loved going on long drives with my family just to clear my head a little and distract myself from studies for a while. Do something you love doing. It can be anything- going to the mall, a movie, a sleepover, anything. Never let the bad things get the better of you, keep fighting against them and just think of the end goal. Just remember that you don’t have to go through the bad times alone and there are people all around you who care about you, and the only tip to overcome this problem is to trust yourself and the loved ones around you.
~ Priya Sarin
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