If you ask students who did exceedingly well in the Class XII Central Board of Secondary Education examination — the results of which were announced on Saturday — a majority will say that a well-balanced schedule with time allotted to extracurricular activities helped them stay on course.
Avani Tantry, a student from Delhi Public School, Bangalore South, who had secured an aggregate of 96% is also a national-level swimmer. She found time to participate in several national-level swimming competitions. Avani bagged six gold medals and two silver medals at the national and zonal level swimming competitions in 2017. “I used to pay 100% attention in class and clear all my doubts owing to which I didn’t have to worry much right before the exams. Sports has taught me the importance of time management,” said Avani who started following a scheduled study timetable three months before the boards.
Swarna Ajjampur, a national water polo champion, is another student who learned how to balance her academic workload with sports. The Delhi Public School Bangalore South students secured an aggregate of 92%. She is part of the Karnataka State team for water polo which won the silver medal in the Junior Nationals Championship in July 2017. She also took part in the Senior Nationals Aquatic Championship the same year as part of the State team and came fourth. Swarna said, “Sports has helped me be a better person in society. Being an athlete helped me be mentally prepared for my exams too. During the study holidays, I studied smart instead of sitting with my books for hours on end,” she said.
Nakul R.S., from National Hill View Public School who secured 95% in the board exams, is also a State-level basketball player who was selected for the national-level basketball team. “I didn’t worry a lot about the classes I had missed, but planned out my studies accordingly to complete the syllabus before the boards. I slept well before the exams and gave it my best,” said Nakul, who aspires to be an engineer.
A passionate singer, Rajameenakshi Muralidharan from The Oxford Senior Secondary School in J.P. Nagar, has also successfully found a balance between music and academics. She secured an aggregate of 95.2% and attributes her high scores to music which was her stress buster. She is a student of Carnatic and western music for several years now and has been participating in various competitions locally and globally. In the 2017 Global Carnatician competition, which is an online vocal competition, she reached the eighth spot in India. “Music helped me learn better as I would convert certain concepts into musical patterns and songs to help remember them better. I spent at least six hours a week practising music and that helped keep my mind calm and brain sharp,” said Rajameenakshi.
