(In our new series 'Lessons from the Top', which we are starting in the run-up to the CBSE and ISC results expected this month, we will feature interviews with 4 toppers who graduated from high school a decade ago. Among them, one currently works as a scientist at Amazon in the US, another is a principal architect at Adobe in California, the third is a student at Harvard Law School, and the fourth is serving as an IAS officer and SDM of Prayagraj district in Uttar Pradesh. They will share insights into their experiences with schooling, work, personal journeys, and life so far. You can find the rest of the articles here.) Bhuvanyaa Vijay (27) was the ISC topper with 99 per cent in 2013. She was a student at St. Joseph's Academy, Dehradun at that time. Afterward, she secured admission to the five-year integrated BA, LLB (Hons) programme at the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. Vijay graduated at the top of her batch with a CGPA of 6.72 out of 7.00 and received 13 gold medals. Following a few years of working as a research associate, she has returned to academia. Last year, Vijay began her LLM studies at Harvard Law School. Q. What is the best thing about what you're doing right now? I am one among a batch of 184 students from 63 countries pursuing their higher studies in law from Harvard Law School. This diversity is the best thing about my current engagement. In just one hall, I am able to strike conversations with leading prosecutors, judges, clerks from international Supreme Courts, policy experts, government officials, law teachers, and so many more. Some of them also happen to be accomplished dancers, novelists, chefs, and athletes. It is a huge opportunity to learn from and contribute meaningfully towards significant legal issues of the world and our home jurisdictions. I am trying to make the most of it. Q. What are the habits from school or college life that have stood you in good stead? Just one habit has and that is perseverance — in taking care of health, in studying or work, and in interpersonal relationships. There will be days when you do not wish to study or spend your time doing anything relevant to your life’s goals. There will also be disappointments and possibly unending strokes of bad luck. In my experience, the only healthy way through such situations is to try to strike a balance between being thick-skinned and empathetic, while making sure that there is not a single day of your life when you do not put in the bare minimum quality time towards achieving your goals. This is to maintain momentum, which is unimaginably difficult to achieve once flow is broken. Grit is incredibly important. So, try to fit in at least 15 minutes of exercise on lazy days and more on active ones. Eat and sleep well. Read for 30 mins daily. Create time to speak to your loved ones. Be consistent with academic work. If it is studying, divide your syllabus into small, manageable portions and master them one by one. If it is writing or research, target tiny bits, even on uninspiring days. During stressful encounters with other people, never act in haste. Take your time to assimilate the situation, be quick to listen but slow to judge. Of course, none of this should come at the cost of your well-being, so taking things slow, at times, is crucial. Q. In hindsight, what is that one thing you wish you had done differently in school, college, life? I describe myself as an extroverted introvert. Hence, my comfort zone comprises interacting with no more than two to three people and enjoying most of my time doing things just by myself. I wish I had been more proactive in ‘socialising’ back in college. I have realised that in most professions, peers are the important stakeholders. You learn from them, you argue with them, you disagree, you get annoyed by some, few stick their neck out for you, others try to pull you down. In every scenario, you grow as a person and forge lifelong bonds. Q. Could you talk about what helped you top the Board exam? First, outstanding guidance from teachers and parents. Second, consistent effort. The first helped me approach a vast syllabus wisely — knowing what portions deserve mastery and repetition, and which bits require less detailed evaluation. The second is key to achieving any goal. I never studied for six hours daily (excluding school hours) but never did I also not study for at least 90 mins on any given day. Q. What kind of doors did being a national ranker open for you? I could have pursued an undergrad from BITS Pilani since they offer open admission without an entrance test to Board toppers each year. I, however, chose the law over the sciences. In the proximate sense, no other doors opened, but in the long run being a national ranker speaks volumes for you in your CV, interactions, interviews, and lends you a good first impression. If you are lucky, it fetches you a curious audience. Often this is enough of a foot in the door, following which you may grasp an opportunity and truly justify being a Board topper by exhibiting relevant skills. I believe being a national ranker played a decisive role in my LLM applications, and I was lucky to be admitted to some of the top Law Schools of the world including Harvard, Oxford, Yale, and Berkeley, On the flip side, the burden is immense. Q. How different are you from the person who topped the exam several years ago? I have grown! Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. I have learnt to assume positive intent in every situation. This prevents me from overthinking unnecessary matters, while learning the most from any experience. Legal training has helped me think like a lawyer – a trait that has helped me reap immense benefits in the legal profession, but one that is equally damaging if implemented in personal life. Hence, a critical juncture in my learning curve was when I internalised some important professional ethics because of which I am able to minimise work-related spillovers into my personal life. Q. What is the one thing you would wish to change about your school education? Students are expected to make crucial career choices at the young age of 13 yrs (before Class 9) and then 15 yrs (before Class 10). Thus, one thing which must be introduced in the Indian school education system is equipping students and parents with the relevant resources, information, and tools towards the end of middle school. Regular sessions with alumni, chats with experts from different fields, detailed laying out of every possible career choice, one-on-one counselling, psychometric and other relevant evaluations to gauge a student’s strengths, will also be important improvements. Most fields are fluid, but some are rigid. For instance, if you don’t take up Biology in high school, you may not be eligible to study medicine and become a doctor in most jurisdictions. For some students, keeping their options open might be a priority. For others, knowing what they do not want to pursue lends clarity. Thus, customised sessions will help our country transform its huge demographic dividend into a powerhouse.
