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Securing 97.2% in the Grade XII CBSE Boards, Ms. Kaavya Srikumar not only topped our ITPL campus but is also one of Bangalore’s toppers. Leading the city’s CBSE results is no easy feat, so we got in touch with her, to understand how she pulled it off.
Fresh from the day of the results, the emotions haven’t settled with our topper, who admits her disbelief at the numbers that appeared on the computer screen.
“I still can’t believe it. I didn’t expect this kind of result. I remember being very nervous when the results were out. I am extremely happy, the excitement hasn’t settled yet. ”
Pursuing the PCMC stream, Kaavya’s reputation as a topper precedes her, as she was one of the school’s toppers in Grade X with an impressive score of 95%
“I aimed to do my best. I was among the top three students in Grade X – I can say that’s where the ambition came from. I was determined to better my score and I’m proud to have achieved that.”
With her record of academic excellence, we just had to know her secret of topping the boards.
“I’d say my utilization of time served me well. I started my preparation pretty early, in fact when classes had just begun. I don’t study a lot, usually. I put in four to five hours of study time every day. I’d cover portions that I knew were important or that the teachers had emphasized in class.”
Apart from covering the highlighted portions in the textbook, Kaavya also addressed the importance of revision as a tool that helped her with her exams.
“Our teachers were very helpful from the beginning. We started our revision in early November. This helped us refine our understanding of basic concepts and revisit areas of doubt. I think I utilized this time well and finished topics well in advance.”
“Balancing my sleep routine and topics to study was a challenge because the portions were huge. During the month of March, I cut down my use of gadgets significantly. I was solely focussed on the next examination and my preparation for it. To be honest, I didn’t study my textbooks extensively. I covered the portions stated by my teachers and those I knew were important from the previous years. You should be confident in what you study.”
On being asked for advice for juniors and future aspirants of the Grade XII CBSE Boards, Kaavya noted the downside of rote-learning and the importance of being well prepared.
Last minute cramming never works. I prefer a well-planned preparation schedule. I’d also suggest analysing and solving a number of old question papers. This will help shed light on important and frequently asked questions. CBSE questions are application based, so mugging the textbooks won’t be helpful. Making the best use of the study holidays is a must to score well.
“My parents are elated. They were expecting a good rank but they didn’t see this coming. To see my name in the newspaper, to see them happy, it’s a nice feeling. My teachers from school have been messaging me best wishes. My friends and family have been calling in, to congratulate me. I will have to make a list now, for the sheer number of people I have to treat.”
With plans to pursue an engineering degree in Electronics and Communications, we asked Kaavya if she had anything to add before starting her new journey in undergrad,
“A big, big, big thank you to my friends, teachers, and parents for making this possible. I’d like to say that my effort made just 50% of what I achieved. The rest is because of the support I have received and I am grateful to each one of them.”
Here is what Ms. Jyothi Menon, Vice-Principal at Ekya ITPL and a couple of Kaavya’s teachers had to say about her:
Kaavya is not the only Ekya student to top the city at the boards. Devaamsh Rajesh from Ekya School JP Nagar topped the school and city at the ICSE boards – Read his story here.
Your preparation in February will give you the confidence in March. Don’t save topics for last minute cramming. Finish as much as you can before you give your pre-boards.Across the country, the month of March is renowned for the exam stress it brings, so we asked Abhishek what was his stress-buster. “I played a lot of football and badminton until February. During my exams, I turned to Squash, a game that you can play single-handedly. It helped me take my mind off studies; I’d go every day if I needed to. Come back home refreshed from a game, head straight to the shower and back with the books. That was my routine.”
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