The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) results for classes 12 and 10 which were declared on July 22 witnessed West Bengal’s Howrah district toppers from Asian International School. Sofia Nandi (XII) and Abhranil Bhadra (X) secured the highest percentage from the school as well as topped the district in their respective examinations. Sofia scored 492 out of 500 making it an aggregate of 98.4% whereas Abhranil scored 98.2 %.

EducationWorld speaks to Howrah district CBSE toppers (XII and X) to understand their educational journey and success mantras. 

A resident of Shibpur Mandirtala, Howrah, Sofia wants to pursue research in Biotechnology. Way back in November 2021, when the lockdown had partially been withdrawn, schools were beginning to reopen and Sofia had her pre-boards for term-1, the thought of going to school all over again and writing a physical exam terrified her. She was so adapted to the online mode that offline examinations shook her from within. “I was crying like a child and holding my mother’s hands. But my mother said that a day will come when I shall recall this sweet memory and emerge out much stronger on the other side. And that has finally happened,” said she.

How did your school help you achieve such brilliant results?

My school has helped me a lot in every possible way. All my teachers and mentors helped me in my academics and even provided me with the emotional fortification to cope with all odds.

Let us know some of your tips for this outstanding performance.

I tried to remain focussed throughout, in every circumstance, brushing away all the distractions as much as I could. I worked on my specific targets and ensured that the short term-goals were met. This eventually made sure that the long-term goals were achieved. 

How long did you study?

I studied for around three to four hours on the days that I attended school apart from completing all the tasks and assignments and during my off days, I used to study for almost eight to nine hours a day with short breaks in between.

What did you do during your leisure time?

One of my hobbies is playing the synthesizer. At other times, I usually watch a web series or get into reading a crime-thriller novel.

Are you addicted to social media? If yes, how does it help you in life or how does it distract you in life? (Whichever is applicable for you)

At times, yes, I do get engaged in social media. Honestly, it acts as a distraction, but then later I change the content or alter the recommendations so that I can harvest something fruitful by investing my time into it. But during my preparation time, I strictly box myself to the educational videos and platforms on social media, which help me clear my concepts.

How have your parents been instrumental in your success and preparation strategy?

My parents had my back all the time. They played a major role right from the beginning of my class XII in terms of providing the required emotional and mental support, helping me out with different sources and references in my academics, and suggesting effective strategies to cope with the vast syllabus of different subjects.

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A resident of Santragachi in Howrah, Abhranil Bhadra aspires to become an astronomer as he fascinates to unfold the mystery of the universe. 

How did your school help you achieve such brilliant results? 
Owing to the pandemic over the last two years, giving the board exam was a challenge for all of us. Schools were closed physically and we were confined to our homes. I was grateful to my school as our session started on the digital platform. We did not face any issue in coping up. Teachers taught and guided us exactly in the same way as they used to do in offline classes. They helped us in every possible way. 

Let us know some of your tips for this outstanding performance. How long did you study?

I always did my online classes very sincerely and tried to clear the concepts in all subjects from the teachers. Mostly, I stressed on qualitative studying rather than quantity.

My study time ranged from five to six hours daily. But whatever I studied in this time span, it was done attentively. I always read the books thoroughly and after completing a particular chapter, solved different types of problems. My school also conducted frequent class tests and periodic tests which helped me a lot to be well prepared for the board exams.

What did you do during your free time?
Before the pandemic hit, I was into several extracurricular activities like painting, playing guitar, and Martial Arts. Martial Acts was one of my passion and I am a first dan black belt owner in Martial Arts. Due to the pandemic, I detached myself from outside activities. But during my free time, I continued with physical exercises, and this helped me a lot to reduce the exam stress. I also read story books, and watch movies to relieve stress.

Are you addicted to social media? If yes, how does it help you in life or how does it distract you in life? (Whichever is applicable for you)
I was never addicted to social media. WhatsApp is a necessity and is more often called an easy-accessible communication platform. Otherwise, I used to watch Youtube videos, but that was not frequent.

How your parents have been instrumental in your success and preparation strategy
Well, my parents have truly been instrumental in my success and preparation strategy as they ensured a stress-free environment at my home. They supported me all the way and always encouraged me and influenced me with their ideals. Their immense faith helped built confidence in me.

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