“I always thought I was good, never the best.”
Kashyap Khandelwal, an All India Rank 2 holder and a beloved student of VCW Arya Vidya Mandir Bandra East, appeared for his board examinations in the year 2022. His batch was quite unfortunate, as they had to give the dreaded ICSE board exams twice! They had a 16-month-long year, which was definitely not easy to pull through without being able to even come to school offline. Although the inconsistencies in the school year definitely led to some skepticism regarding his result, as we all know, Kashyap definitely passed all expectations with flying colors and a whopping 99.60% in his best five subjects.
In a recent interview with Ms. Aishini Kulkarni (AVM BE batch of 2023), Kashyap shared many useful insights and tips that he followed in order to make sure that he got the result he wanted. He mainly emphasized on organization and being up-to-date with school worksheets and projects. Kashyap also mentions that punctuality is extremely important when it comes to submissions, as his mistakes will be rectified on time. He would learn things in an active manner. He would diligently learn the content taught to him in school on the same day and also practise questions pertaining to it.
Kashyap advises us not to do any extra work and just stick to solving past papers and textbook questions. Apart from self-study, he would give 100% attention in class, so he had a deep understanding of the topic. In order to receive the best board result, he was very particular about not watching television for an entire year, and his family contributed to creating a conducive environment for him. Instead, he would spend his free time reading novels and playing badminton.
When he did not perform according to his expectations, he refused to give in to the melancholy that comes with it; instead, he persevered and practised in minute areas. He focused on his handwriting when it came to English and silly mistakes in mathematics; those were niches he had to look out for. In a humorous tone, he adds that the one thing that motivated him was the fact that he was stuck at home and there wasn't much to do. This helped him focus his energies on studying.
During the last few months, the exam anxiety began to fade, and it was especially hard to stay afloat. The board exams are important examinations, and every student wants to give them their all. He kept using online resources and question papers to boost his learning skills and reminded himself of the personal satisfaction the board exam results would provide.
He admitted that there was nothing more he could have done in terms of academics, so he wouldn’t redo any aspect of the learning process, but he truly wishes he were able to attend grade 10 offline to experience the togetherness that comes with being in the final stretch of the school days. He wishes he could bunk and sneak off with his friends.
His results truly instilled confidence in him; he had always underestimated his abilities. To quote him, “I always thought I was good, never the best. I did well, but not too well; in my opinion, I was only good. This exam gave me a rush of confidence.”
He wants the upcoming grade 10 students to enjoy the year they have together and understand that although the board exams are an important milestone, they must try to have more fun than stress, but that doesn’t mean they should let go too much either.
To conclude, we must keep in mind the sheer grit, determination and hardwork Kashyap put in to achieve these excellent results and put in our best for the upcoming exams
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