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 "I worked hard. The quality of teaching in my school was excellent. My family and my teachers were very supportive. Above all, I must thank God", says S Balaji of Sri Ahobilamath Oriental Higher Secondary School, Chennai, who secured the third rank in the state in statistics in the 12th standard examinations. Other state rank holders echo his
sentiments.
Academic excellence was something these students had always strived for. But success, the manner in which it came, took them by surprise. M Hemanth Kumar of Asan Memorial Matriculation Higher Secondary School and Deeptha Srinivas of DAV (Matriculation) Higher Secondary School were pleasantly surprised when they secured 1st and 2nd ranks respectively in the Anna University Engineering Entrance Examinations.
Hemanth got 297.67 marks while Deeptha got 297.52 out of 300. They both plan to join B E Computer Science at Anna University. Hemanth plans to specialize in avionics while Deeptha is yet to decide.
Balaji comes from a school where the priority is Vedic education. But the school does not lag behind in contemporary subjects. There are 12 state rank holders from the Sri Ahobilamath Oriental Higher Secondary School, including 6 in Statistics, first in Accounts and third in Commerce. The subject averages in the school are over 90 % this year. Balaji was 44th in the Anna University Engineering Entrance Examinations. He wants to study ECE (Electronics and Communication Engineering). He would like to go abroad for higher studies and specialize in space technology.
Also from the same school is R S Nalini, who stood state 3rd in Advanced Sanskrit. Nalini has opted not for Sanskrit but Corporate Secretaryship. Nalini was encouraged to study Sanskrit by her grandfather, who is a keen Sanskrit scholar.
A little younger than these achievers is V Sriram, a standard 11 student of DAV Boys School. Sriram secured 489/500 in the CBSE 10th standard examinations. This total was described as an "all-time high" by his school Principal, Mr C.Satish. Sriram attributes 20% of his success to luck. He says there were many others he knew, who were as good as him, but did not score as much. He hopes to become an engineer.
When asked how they prepared for their board examinations, all these successful students had similar answers. The periodic tests held in the schools had helped to make them well prepared and confident. They had studied systematically, drawing out timetables and providing enough time for various subjects. Most of them spent 4-5 hours a day studying.
An important point: the atmosphere in their schools, though competitive, was stress-free.
Did they need extra coaching?
 Hemanth Kumar and Deeptha joined coaching classes for their entrance examinations. Hemanth joined Santiago Institute and Deeptha IIPE. These classes were "very useful".
While Deeptha, Balaji and Sriram admit that extracurricular activities had to take a backseat, Nalini and Hemanth said they continued to use free time to pursue their hobbies. Nalini is very interested in music and sings. Hemanth enjoys painting and reading, an activity he indulges in while eating! Deeptha and Sriram both enjoy debating, while Balaji loves painting and gardening. Cricket is the favourite sport of all these students.
Dedication and a desire to succeed are evident in all of them. They have done their families and schools proud. Chennaionline wishes them all the very best for the future!
Meenakshi Anantharaman |
