Toppers Talk ( For Class Tenth )

Perseverance entails excellence

“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of

perseverance. It overcomes almost everything, even nature”. This was rightly said so by Mr.

John D Rockefeller who stands as a pinnacle of determination and unwavering will . On this

note , I would like to cite my personal experience that I went through during the tenure of my

tenth or more commonly referred to as the “ Board Year ” by our parents and next of kin .

The first words out of our family’s mouths upon entering this “ deciding ” year is always that of

concern and melodrama – “getting serious” , “such an important and life changing year” ,

“Boards are the biggest exams of our lives” , “ Don’t do anything else , just focus on studies”

and upon receiving the results , I promise you that your phone will immediately start ringing

with your relatives pestering question – “How did your boards go” and “percentage kitna aaye”

. I fondly remember the day my much awaited results arrived and me being myself , I had

completely forgotten about the results and was rather enjoying the blissful weather of Capri

sitting in the porch of our room at Hotel Caesar Augustus . Upon seeing the palindromic

percentage of a whole 99 % , I was overcome with an unreal feeling of joy and happiness which

cannot be merely comprehended in words . For a fleeting moment , all my worries , stress , and

even my surroundings faded as all my dreams had suddenly been fulfilled . I ran with all my

might to show it to my parents and sister who gracefully embraced me as they were as ecstatic if

not more . This still rests as one of my fondest memories and I would never have been able to

achieve such a remarkable feet without the guidance of my parents , relatives , my tuition

teachers and my school which not only supported me at each and every step but whose

teachers allowed me to grow and reach such a level of excellence . Many people and might I

say , students wonder the rationale and the “Is it worth it” question for scoring during the

boards and my reply to this much asked questions especially to me is that it is always worth it .

The cumulative effect of the knowledge, hard work and determination and the feeling of

satisfaction, pride , jubilation and respect that one gets in unparalleled which makes this more

than worth it but something each and everyone should strive for , in my humble opinion . The

amount of satisfaction and pride that one will feel upon answering your relatives cumbersome

questions will always be worth it , trust me . In relation to a little flaunting and boasting which is

always healthy , an insane amount of determination, unwavering hard work and patience

operate behind the scenes continuously. Perseverance is what truly matters , more than any

kind of talent , skill and knowledge when it comes to real life and especially writing your boards

. The amount of time one will dedicate towards preparation besides their level of

comprehending information and a logical mind will determine your marks rather than just your

Intelligent Quotient ( IQ ) and talent level. I would really like to advice my juniors to not fear

boards since the only thing to fear is fear itself . The Boards are always , more or less over

exaggerated and greatly dramatized to create an aura of mystery , fear and most importantly, an

atmosphere which leads to mistakes. The first step to ace the Board exams is to be focused and

motivated as well as triumphing over fear which consequently makes you more focused and err

considerably less . Boards are nothing in the sense of difficulty as compared to your class

eleventh and twelfth , your entrance exams and the perils of working, be it employment ,

running a business , partaking in bureaucracy or holding candidacy . These are the true and

tough struggles of life which will define ones future either for the better or the worse . Parents and society often confines each and every one through academic pressure and stress which

often leads to breaking of social connections, depression , lack of extra curricular activities or

disregarding of health or even plain and simple fun and enjoying moments of pleasure . We

must not cower below this stress and rather take our own studies at an individualistic and

comfortable pace which will always guarantee the highest chances of success . Hangout with

your friends , maintain your physical and mental health , enjoy through entertainment, travel ,

hobbies , extra curriculars and upskilling . When all is said and done , the one regret I will

always have is that I didn’t fully utilise my tenth and what I wouldn’t do to go back and enjoy as

all my other friends enjoyed their tenth but needless to say , all that determination and hard

work truly paid off . Sacrifice is often necessary at times and hard work is a compulsion which

may seem discouraging and unrealistic at times which I too have gone through but resilience

through these uncertain times is the sign of future success . Many of my friends and teachers

have always asked me , “ What motivated you through tenth ?” and for that , my never

quenching thirst for success , hope for power to bring change and influence decisions for the

better , fear of failure and unwavering ambition kept me on the right path throughout . “Always

believe in yourself and your own capability , never underestimate your own skills and

knowledge and always be humble and a hard worker…apart from being ambitious and imbibing

leadership qualities and collaborative skills for your own betterment” is the mantra I stand by

and inculcate in everything I did , do and will have done .