Tanuja Kapri – AIR 3

Tanuja Kapri, a student of Gayatri Vidyapeeth School at Shanti Kunj in Haridwar district, scored 99.4% in the CBSE class 12th boards exams. With a perfect 100 in 4 subjects, this Uttarakhand topper secured AIR 3. Unfortunately, a nationwide re-test in economics cost her 3 marks, and she ended up scoring 497/500. What’s interesting to note about this young girl is that she never took any tuition classes. In fact, she used to give classes to other students. She likes reading books, singing, dancing and debating. The Constitution of India intrigues her and she wants to pursue law and become a judge in future.

Tanuja Kapri scored 99.4% in the CBSE class 12th boards exams.

School is the very foundation of every student’s education. And the role that the parents play in their child’s success can never be undermined. How did your teachers and parents help you achieve this feat?

>>    I wholeheartedly believe that the credit goes to my teachers and parents. They were my real confidence boosters. They helped me throughout the year. They were ready 24*7 to clear my doubts. I think my school has the best faculty in Uttarakhand. All this helped me both physically as well as mentally. My parents made my life so much easier. I never felt pressurized because of them. I think if they were not there, I would have never achieved this feat.

Are you the master of your gadgets or their slave? In this digital age, how do you practice self-control when it comes to distractions?

>>    I think it doesn’t matter whether one is master or slave. All that matters is proper time management. I was very focused from the beginning of the year. I didn’t have a mobile phone or Facebook account during my 12th standard. Whenever I faced any distraction, I tried to make myself calm and assure myself that I have to work hard to achieve my goal.

A topper and an average student both get the same number of hours in a day, i.e., 24 hours. But even then, most students complain that time isn’t sufficient or the coursework is too much and time is too little. Any tips for them?

>>    Consistency is the major key to success in case of time management. If you are consistent from the beginning and have the capability to manage time properly, success is yours. Some tips that can help other students to make the most of their time are:

1: Always focus on quality, not on quantity.

2: Step up daily targets and complete them.

3: Try to divide your time between each of your activities.

4: Avoid wastage of time as much as you can.

5: Instead of complaining, try to get solutions to make things better.

6: Make a proper time-table.

Self-confidence is a boon. But under-confidence and overconfidence are a bane. Your results are definitely a result of optimum confidence. Can you guide your juniors on how you remain motivated and confident?

>>    For the students who feel under-confident:

You should consult your parents and teachers.

I love a quote which I have posted on Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp account, i.e., “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass,it is about learning to dance in the rain.” This is not the end of life. Live your life to the fullest and achieve everything you wish for. Work hard and your efforts will not be wasted. Everyone in this universe is born for a reason, just try to enroll yourself for one. No one is perfect in this world. Just remember this and focus.

For the students who are overconfident:

There is a lot more to achieve in life. Make a bucket list and work hard for it. My result gave me self-confidence that if I will continue my hard-work, I will be a successful person in the future.

I have interacted with many students and more often than not, I found that most students confuse studying hard as studying productively. Can you share any tips on improving the quality of studying rather than simply maximizing the quantity of studying?

>>    Yeah definitely ! I believe all that matters is QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY. And students can ensure that they study well by using the following techniques:

1: Make notes from the NCERT books (NCERT books are the best)

2: It doesn’t matter whether you study for ten hours or five. All that matters is that you study with focus.

3: Study effectively. Underline important points.

4: Instead of grasping everything, focus on main points and try to understand them. I think studying is all about understanding. If the concept is clear, it means you can do very well in exams.

5: View toppers’ answer sheets and solve last ten years papers.

An achiever stays and works in the present because he knows that it does not pay to worry about the future or lament the past. What are your thoughts on this?

>>    I have a different view about this because I have gone through both the situations. The main dilemma my parents faced was my graduation fees. I belong to a middle class family with five mouths to feed. I worked hard throughout the year thinking that it would definitely be profitable for me in future.

But now when I secured AIR 3 and Rank 1 in Uttarakhand, things didn’t turn up well. I am dropping a year for CLAT preparations. No one came forward to help me for my studies, not even the Government. They considered the Uttarakhand Board more important than the CBSE. It is not about demotivating anyone but for me this is reality. However, this motivated me to be more focused. I will try my best and be a successful person in future.

In this highly competitive world, exam stress and anxiety are inevitable. Any tips on how to combat them?

>>    Some tricks that help me deal with exam stress and anxiety are:

1: Drink water as much as you can. Though it seems funny. But whenever I was stressed I use to drink water.

2: Consult your teachers and parents whenever you feel stressed out.

3: There is no need to be afraid of exams all you need to do is hard-work.

4: Talk to your seniors as they had faced the same situation earlier.

Peer pressure can be both positive and negative. Toppers like you have a positive impact on others. But then being a native of digital world, can you tell us how do you ensure that you remain uninfluenced by negative peer pressure?

>>    Some techniques that I use to avoid negative peer pressure are:

1: I have always tried to understand my values and beliefs. This gave me strength.

2: Self-confidence is another major factor that played a crucial role.

3: Good company is important. I had a lot of good friends, who motivated me to work hard and do my best.

4: I always consulted my teachers and parents.

5: I never make any excuses to myself. This definitely helped me a lot. Giving excuses to yourself in life is like doing wrong with yourself.

~ Priya Sarin
priya[at]thestudentsdigest.com

Mark sheet of Tanuja Kapri

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