‘Consistent self-study is the key’: Tricity CBSE toppers say they focused on hard work, kept social media at bay

Speaking to The Indian Express, she said, “I want to pursue Economics honours from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi. I did take coaching in two subjects but mostly it was self-study that worked for me.”

A resident of Sector 18, Dhwani hasn’t yet decided what she aims to become.

Her father Dr Sandeep Bansal told The Indian Express, “ She never wanted to go into the medical stream and had interest in commerce. She was very focused and hard working from the beginning and she chose commerce with maths.”

Kabir Sandhu, non-medical
Kabir Sandhu, a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya in Sector 15, Panchkula, topped the Tricity in the non-medical stream with 99.4 per cent. A resident of Sector 2 in Panchkula, Kabir wanted to become a quantum engineer.

“After completing my degree, I will be picking up quantum mechanics. I aim to capitalise on the boom of quantum engineering by becoming a quantum engineer and build quantum technology in computing, healthcare, defence and even finance,” Kabir said.
Kabir, whose father is a retired colonel from the Indian Army while mother is a doctor, says that he will go to the US for his Masters.

On the use of social media, Sandhu said, “I wasn’t active on the social media. I used it only to follow a physicist or for research-oriented topics. If used too much, it is indeed a distraction.”

Whether he would invest his talent in india, he said, “In five-six years, I will see if quantum mechanics sees a boom in India or not because it is declining here. Even otherwise, if I open a start-up in the US, I will be doing it for my country as well.”

Kabir used to put in five to six hours of study every day. He never took any coaching. When he was in Class 10, he said that he had already finished the syllabus of Class 12 all by himself.

Megha Tayal, 99.2 per cent

Megha Tayal secured 99.2 per cent in the humanities stream and topped the Tricity. A student of Class 12 from the Bhavan Vidyalaya in Sector 27, Chandigarh, Tayal aims to become an IAS officer.

Her father Ajay Tayal runs a factory in Ludhiana while mother Ritu Tayal is a homemaker.

Megha feels social media is a distraction in the way of success. “I kept myself totally away from the social media. It is indeed a distraction,” she said.

Even Tayal used to put in five to six hours of self-study daily, which she feels is really important to understand the topics and clear the concept.

“I have already begun preparing for the UPSC exams. My daily target is to complete five-six hours of study daily to clear my concepts,” she said, advising other students not to take too much stress.

Aarushi Suri, 98.6 per cent, medical

Minutes before her mother was leaving for the airport to fly to Toronto for a conference, she got to know that her daughter had topped in the Tricity in the medical stream.

Daughter of PGI professors, Aarushi brought laurels to the city by securing 98.6 per cent in the medical stream. She is a student of Bhavan Vidyalaya in Sector 27, Chandigarh.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Aarushi said, “I aim to become a general surgeon. I would put in five to six hours of study daily. I feel consistency and hard work is the key to success.”

Aarushi’s father Dr Vikas Suri is at the Department of Internal Medicine while her mother is a professor at the Department of Paediatrics.

Aarushi says she aims to seek admission to AIIMS-Delhi but GMCH-32 is her dream. To ensure that she doesn’t get distracted, she switched to a quadra keypad phone.

While speaking to The Indian Express, Dr Vikas Suri said, “ She really made us proud. In fact, her mother was leaving for a conference for a week and just before flying to Toronto, she got to know this good news. We are very happy.”

Institute for the blind, Sector 26

Gaganjot has never seen how her parents, teachers look like but she worships them for standing by her side in these tough years. And it was their support that helped her reach here.

Gaganjot secured 95.6 per cent in the humanities stream and topped the Institute of Blind school with flying colours.

“I aim to become a Hindi professor as I love Hindi. Since birth, I have been blind. My parents got to know after six months that I cannot see. Then to give me the best education, they got me admitted to the Institute of Blind here in Chandigarh,” Gaganjot told The Indian Express.

She added, “Initially when I started understanding that I will remain blind the rest of my life, I was disheartened. But then with the suppport of my family, I overcame that and decided to make my weakness my strength.”