For Ranchi’s Avni Kejriwal, scoring a perfect 500/500 after the recent re-evaluation of her Class XII CBSE board exam sheet was not the result of a year spent buried in textbooks. Instead, she credits maintaining interests beyond academics that helped her stay motivated.
“The biggest secret to my scores is that I ensured to keep my the world outside of books alive. My last year leading up to the Boards was not 24 hours of studying or living life in my books. There was no punishing, excessive grind. When studying, my world stopped there and I made sure there were no distractions. But, when not studying, I refused to let the pressure of boards isolate me. Playing athletics, badminton and basketball, I used to spend a lot of time on the field. I love writing and entrepreneurship, so I used to write essays or spend time writing business pitches. The next time I would sit to study, it would be with rejuvenation.”
Alongside her academics, she continued to participate in athletics, playing badminton and basketball, while pursuing her interests in writing and entrepreneurship. “I used to spend a lot of time on the field. I also love writing and entrepreneurship, so I used to write essays and business pitches. So, the next time I would sit to study, I would be rejuvenated,” she adds.
When boards began, her study time increased to 10-12 hours a day, following a schedule that suited her. “I am not a morning person, so I would study late into the night until 2-3am. Then wake up around 8 or 9am and plan out my day. Say if there were three specific topics to complete. Whether it took 5 hours or 15 hours, they had to be done.” Kejriwal recalls.
But one subject that remained her biggest challenge throughout the year was Mathematics. “Before boards, it was the single subject I was most nervous about. I wasn’t always very naturally talented in Math. For the entire year, I wanted to make sure I practised as much as I could,” says Avni. To overcome that fear, Kejriwal focused on regular practice and avoided accumulating a backlog. She adds, “I never missed any tests, be it mandatory ones at school or the optional ones at tuition.”
Shielding her from the crushing weight of expectations, her parents acted as the perfect emotional anchor, “The biggest reasons behind my scores has been my parents. Never a ‘You need to get above 90%,’ or ‘You need to come in the top three came from them. Instead, sometimes I used to get super anxious and my dad would tell me, ‘You know, even if you’re getting an 80, it’s fine. The world is not ending.’” With the boards safely behind her and a perfect 500 in tow, Avni is already looking toward her next big canvas. “I want to be an entrepreneur and build something of my own.” she says.
