Tonushree Chowdhury
Jamnabai Narsee International School’s Tonushree Chowdhury became the World Topper in IGCSE Mathematics by scoring a perfect 100. She considers her school as her second home and is grateful that through this long association with her school, she has got diverse and multiple opportunities for her all-round growth. She looks back with satisfaction that owing to this upbringing, in the last two years, she has been able to shoulder responsibilities of Head Girl (Class X) and before that Senior Assistant Head Girl (Class IX). And this young winner achieved all this alongside the demanding curriculum of IGCSE wherein she had ten subjects. Now she looks forward to her challenging IBDP-journey with hope and optimism. This wise girl relies on mentally rephrasing her lessons and using acronyms for effective memory & recall. She has learnt the art of prioritising her work and has some really effective tips for it. Like a true winner, in this interview to Priya Sarin, Tonushree Chowdhury is happy to share her success mantras with you all and help you prepare for your upcoming exams. Let’s follow her footsteps!
Tonushree Chowdhury, World Topper
It is said that behind every successful student stands a teacher. How did your teachers and parents help you in your preparation for the exams?
>> My teachers played a pivotal role in my preparedness for the exam, both for concept-learning and as a source for motivation at crucial points in my journey. They worked overtime beyond normal hours and were available when I needed their help – be it to clarify doubts, or to help me prioritize areas of study, or share resources and tips that could be helpful in my preparations. At other times I remember when I felt low, I would go to this particular teacher who would fill me with enough motivation to be able to get back and take up any challenge.
My parents played a significant complementary role by keeping up a constructive tension for academic performance within the home. I discussed my academic progress, challenges and disappointments daily with them. They helped me in preparing a comprehensive study schedule that factored all challenges I faced and all deadlines I had to meet etc. We frequently reviewed progress and took corrective measures. And as exams drew closer, they provided me with much needed emotional support and stayed up late to provide moral support. Overall, I feel, my exams increased our family bonding greatly.
What is your least favourite subject? And how do you manage it?
>> I was interested in learning all the subjects I had chosen, but if I have to pick one it would probably be Hindi because it was one of my weak-links. I prepared for it by reading different texts for example speeches, interviews and newspaper articles. I also improved my vocabulary by making a list of all the words I found tough and using them in speech and in writing.
Little things make a big difference. Can you share some simple study techniques and tips that you followed?
>> I didn’t study the same subject for a very long time. When I found myself getting very distracted I would usually switch to another subject. This helped me to sustain my efforts over a longer period especially before the exams. Similarly, I would alternate between a subject with quantitative applications like Maths & Physics with non-quantitative subjects like History, English and Biology. This helps in breaking the monotony of studying over long hours.
I used to feel sleepy in the mornings and taking up any reading during the mornings was a definite invitation to sleep. To get around this, I devoted all my mornings to mostly solving Maths papers and scheduled reading subjects at other times.
Closer to the exams, I did rely on drawing up a comprehensive study-plan in which I factored all the challenges and deadlines, without letting anything important slip. I think this is helpful.
A good mood is essential for good marks. Ironically exam season is the time when you don’t have time to uplift your mood, but you need it the most. What are your shortcuts to a good mood during exam season?
>> Listening to good music and getting some fresh air always refreshes me and helps me reset my resolve and determination to accomplish the task at hand. I also had a stash of ice cream and comfort foods to help me feel better!
Most students forget what they have studied in just a few days. Any tips for improving the memory and ensuring better retain and recall?
>> Everybody tends to have different techniques for memory and recall. I rely on mentally rephrasing something that I have studied, as if I were tutoring a group of students on the same. Acronyms help immensely for memory & recall. I also like relating concepts to real life incidents as it helps in easier recall by association.
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?
>> We learn the art of balancing through experience. It’s like riding a bicycle – when we first tried, balancing was very difficult. But after maybe a few falls all of us learned to balance our bicycles. Similarly, we all have it in us to be able to naturally strike a balance when faced with multiple demands on our time. We just have to believe in ourselves.
That said, prioritising work is important. It is helpful to make a check-list of all-important things-to-do in order of importance. Budgeting time consciously for things we want to do, other than academics, even if it is for just fifteen minutes in a day is also necessary.
Toppers recognise that well-being is very important for their academic and personal success. They know that being well is a key to doing well in life, and it helps them to perform to the best of their ability day in and day out. But then, many students ignore their health for the sake of studies? How do you take care of your physical and mental health?
>> Attending to physical health, umm… frankly I could have done more. I was lucky to have had health supporting me through strenuous times. But I have often found time during a day for doing five to ten rounds of Surya-namaskar (which is a capsule of 12 yoga-asanas). I have found that a few rounds of Surya-namaskar can be immediately invigorating for both the body and the mind.
Breaks are essential to ensure effective studying. What are your favourite break time activities?
>> Listening to music, playing the keyboard, walking on the beach/garden, random sketching and watching short TV shows have been my favourite break-time activities. In fact, especially during times of study-pressure, I often found myself wondering how lovely life would be if only it consisted of these breaks!😊
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?
>> I think it is good not to compare oneself with others and their progress in studies etc. This can at times be a source of stress and anxiety. Everyone may have a different path of getting to the same goal. Everyone has a different way of learning, while some may solve all the past papers for a subject and the others just read the text book twice, it is possible for them to still score the same.
It is also important to share everything with parents, especially during stressed times. Sometimes friends aren’t able to give the best advice as they are facing the same problems as you and are going through the same grind as you. Further, parents can most of the times offer solutions with benefit of their experiential wisdom.
Your friends influence your behaviour. Do you agree? If yes, how do you capitalise on it so that it has a positive effect on your performance? If your answer is no, how do you remain uninfluenced in this connected world?
>> Friendly interactions help in reminding me that I’m not alone. They help in de-stressing me as I often laugh and joke around in the company of my friends. That said, I personally think that conversations about exams are best left to only spontaneous exchanges. Otherwise I found myself going into the same comparative loop, thinking that I’m not putting in nearly half as much effort as my friends. As I mentioned earlier, this worry is flawed because everyone has their own ways of learning and I ended up doing well! As the exam draws closer, it is also helpful to be more disciplined and detached from social media; especially if you find yourself easily caught up in all the Instagram posts and snaps, like I do.
~ Priya Sarin
priya[at]thestudentsdigest.com
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