ICSE
Basudha Poddar

Score: 96.6% 

Marksheet: Computer science 99, History-geography 98, mathematics 97, science 97, Bengali 93, English 92

School: Sri Aurobindo Institute of Education

Resident of: BB 31

Gearing up: I always kept four hours for studying at home. I had three tuitions to attend —  two teachers and an institute — which took up the time from 5pm to 9pm. I went to sleep after dinner at 10pm. I would wake up early to study before school. Earlier I used to study late but my health took a hit so I had to change my routine in April 2016. In any case, the mind is fresh in the morning. But since January this year, I started studying at night too. I started solving test papers at 11am, which would be the exact time of my Board exams. 

Moment of reckoning: I had no expectations. My parents always asked me to enjoy studies. I loved all 10 subjects and studied all equally. That is why I never felt stressed. Parents are happy with my results but there has been no celebrations.
Time to relax: We went on  vacation for a week. Otherwise there was not much time. ICSE ended on April 17, our classes began on April 28. Summer vacations started on May 15 and lasted a month. I have six tutors and having to juggle time among them. 

In my spare time, I listen to music on YouTube. I love the song Shape of You (by Ed Sheeran) as well as Rabindrasangeet. I used to listen to FM but the radio broke. 

Future plan: I want to be a doctor. I love the biosciences.

Anwesha Dan

Score: 97% (Best of five)

Marksheet: Mathematics 100, computer science 100, science 99, history-geography 98, English 88, Hindi 94. 

School: Salt Lake School

Resident of: Eastern High, New Town. “We shifted here from BB Block in Salt Lake in 2014. I joined the school in Class V after we shifted from Jharkhand.”

Favourite subject: Computer science. 

Gearing up: Our school is from 10.30am to 4.30pm. So I could study for an hour in the morning and another three and half to four hours after school on days I did not have tuitions. I had tutors in physics, chemistry mathematics and computer science. 

During the study leave, I studied for eight hours a day. In between, I took breaks for 15-20 minutes, to read the newspaper or play the violin or go out to meet neighbourhood friends.

Moment of reckoning: Excitement was building up since the morning. I was at a chemistry tuition when our result was supposed to be declared. We were keeping an eye on the watch when Sir gave us a half hour break at 3pm. Since the site had crashed, it was a while before we could see the result. Everyone congratulated me as I had got the highest among the students there. 

Tips for juniors: Be systematic. Focus on a single text book rather than several. For history and geography I had got confused midway through about which to study. I also attended school regularly. That is why I did not need history and geography tuitions. 

Time to relax: We had dinner at Azad Hind Dhaba in celebration. Another treat is due from my uncle. School has opened from June 12. In my free time, I am playing the violin which I started learning from Class VIII. I wanted to pick up a musical instrument and heard quite a few on Youtube. The sound of the violin enticed me. I am also catching up on my reading. Other than the Harry Potter series, I liked The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a story centred around World War II. I also like books by Jodi Picoult. I watch a lot of football, especially La Liga and of course the World Cup. I missed seeing my favourite footballer Lionel Messi in action at the Salt Lake stadium as I didn’t know much about him yet.

---

ISC
Saptadipa Pal

Score: 98.25% (Best four + English)

Marksheet: Political science 100, sociology 100, psychology 96, English 94, Bengali 93 

School: Salt Lake School (joined in Class XI)

Resident of: Sun City, Ultadanga

Gearing up: I loved to study at night. That is when I could concentrate best. I would go to sleep at 6am or 6.30am. I would drink endless cups of coffee and stay up. I didn’t bother about last 10 years’ test papers as I did not want to leave out even topics that came last year. What if short questions came from there? Even losing one mark would mean missing out on a perfect score. I collected question papers of the selection tests of other schools and solved them. The history paper of Calcutta Girls School was so different that it had caused quite a flutter. 

Testing time:  I fought through acute stomach pain during English and political science tests. The pain had started a day before the English exam. Since the pain was not focused in any part, the doctor gave me medicines for gastritis. Perhaps I could have done better in English if I was fit. That would have brought me in the reckoning for a rank. I did not tell my parents that the pain was back on exam days. They would have freaked out. It has now been diagnosed as gall bladder stone and I was operated on the day after my exams ended. 

Moment of reckoning: I could access my result 15 minutes late as the site had crashed. Once my parents posted my score in their WhatsApp groups the news spread like wildfire and calls started coming. My target had always been a score of 98 per cent or above. In our country, arts students are seen as second grade. I wanted to break that perception. I am proud that for the first time in our school history, arts students have taken the top three slots across all streams. All celebrations have been kept on hold till my brother’s MBA exams get over in July. Then there is supposed to be a big treat for my parents’ friends and my friends. Oh yes, I am big foodie. So I am waiting for that.

Time to relax: I am watching a lot of films on TV. I love the series Gray’s Anatomy which I have downloaded. I am also reading up. A book I love is Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. It deals with case studies of neurological diseases. I also like Dan Brown and the romance series by Nicholas Sparks. I am focusing more on non-fiction now. Two books I recently read are India’s Biggest Cover-up by Anuj Dhar and The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The first is on Netaji’s disappearance and the second on cancer.

Future plans: I want to pursue psychology. I have applied in Gokhale Memorial Girls’ College, Lady Brabourne College and Loreto College. Though Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi is the best for psychology, I do not want to go to Delhi as the city is unsafe for women. I am learning German now as I want to do higher studies in the US or in Germany.

Maitree Sengupta

Score: 97%

Marksheet: Political Science 100, Sociology 100, Psychology 99, History 91, Bengali 94, English 89

School: Salt Lake School (since kindergarten)

Resident of: FD 425 

Gearing up: On school days, I put in two hours of studies in the morning. I did not like to study after tuitions in the evening. But I was very regular through the year. I had 78 to 79 per cent attendance and tried to understand the lessons in class itself so I never needed to mug up. I had a tutor only for English. Closer to the exams, I stayed up late but never later than 1.30am. Since I cannot study at a stretch, I would sing a few songs or go for a walk in the neighbourhood in the evening or watch a bit of TV. Even when I studied often there would be instrumental music playing on YouTube, like Anoushka Shankar’s sitar.

Moment of reckoning: My mother, brother and I were all trying to open the site to check the result upstairs at home. My father managed to do so quicker in office and messaged me my scores but I did not take them seriously. I did not expect any more than 90 per cent. So I thought he must be wrong. When the site opened, Ma and I both cried and hugged each other. I went downstairs to Dida, shedding copious tears and she thought I had failed! My brother ribbed me, saying that I had beaten him. He had got 95.75 per cent as a science student from the same school.

Time to relax:  We went out to eat one day at Steak Factory on my brother’s suggestion. We also made a short trip to Santiniketan. Now there is Rabindrasangeet to rock music playing on my music system. I also love Mousumi Bhowmik and the Beatles. I have also been watching a lot of films — The Shawshank Redemption and A Beautiful Mind on TV and Posto and Wonder Woman in the theatre. 

Ever since my study leave started, I have been binging on chanachur and chocolate. Thakma has been feeding me home-made phuchka and dahi vada. That continues even now. But I have joined a gym. 

I love creating handicraft. I have been making and gifting penstands to friends leaving town and some teachers.

I am also starting to work for an NGO called Panacea. I will be giving free tuitions to girls at Sukanya, the government-run home for destitute women in Sector V.

Gargi Santra

Score: 96.75%

Marksheet: Chemistry 98, Physics 97, Biology 97, Mathematics 96, English 95

School: Salt Lake School (since kindergarten)

Resident of: Bichitra Abasan, BC Block

Gearing up: I got less than 90 per cent in the selection test. That hit me so hard that I focussed completely on the Board exams during the study leave. The entrance tests became secondary. In Class XII, I studied for seven hours a day. I had tutors in all subjects except English. I also attended an institute in Class XI for JEE. 

Moment of reckoning: I was home alone when our results were announced as both my parents are doctors and had left for their hospitals. My father came home at 4.30pm. Frankly I had expected a bit more. Not just me, others in science in our school also did not get as much as we should have. Perhaps they ignored English. Arts students did better than us.

Time to relax: I love classics, especially Charles Dickens. I also like thrillers by Agatha Christie and Dan Brown. I listen to both Hindi film songs and English. My favourite singers are Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. I watch a lot of reality shows on TV. India’s Got Talent is my favourite. I follow all kinds of sports except football.

Future plans: My favourite subjects are biology and chemistry. I want to be doctor like my parents. I am waiting for the NEET results results and am hoping for a place in one of the teaching hospitals in Calcutta. If that doesn’t work out, I will study chemistry in Jadavpur University. 

---

CBSE
Shounak Mallick

Score:  96.6% (Best of four + one language)

Marksheet: Physics 100, chemistry 98, computer science 96, mathematics 95, Hindi 94, English 93

School: Hariyana Vidya Mandir (since Class XI. “We stayed in Kalyani earlier. My father is a doctor. He was then posted at Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital.”)

Resident of: Northern Height, Ultadanga

Gearing up: I read a limited number of text books as I only needed to clear my conception. Many students follow too many texts and fail to complete any. I also looked up Wikipedia and YouTube videos for supplementary studies. One has to choose those carefully. Some videos posted by Edunovus and IIT students were helpful for practical exams. I had three tutors for physics, chemistry and mathematics to help with the Board preparations. For entrance exams, I attended an institute. I kept 10 hours for studying on my own. Two of my tutors came home, that saved time. During study leave, I read for longer hours. But I always took breaks every hour, taking a walk around the house or watching TV over meals. During the study leave, I studied for 12 hours a day.

Moment of reckoning: I was at my grandparents’ in HA Block. I couldn’t log into the site through my phone. A friend informed me of my score. I expected more in math. I have always been the school topper. So I expected such a result.

Time to relax: I love watching cartoons on TV, especially Horrid Henry and Oggy and the Cockroaches. I also like Harry Potter and all superhero films. I also go to swim at Deshbandhu Park.

I have also started studying for two-three hours. This is nothing.

Future plans: My WBJEE rank is 915 and JEE (Mains) rank is 17,185. I am hoping to get electrical engineering at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur. I have bought mathematics and computer science books and have started reading them.

---

Do you know any Board pass-out in Salt Lake or New Town who has done well enough to be featured here?
Write to The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6 Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abpmail.com