'Balance studies and hobbies'

LUDHIANA: Cracking the boards with a good score and preparing for competitive exams is enough to leave anyone stressed out, but success comes to the one who can keep a cool head. That is what Jibraan Singh Chahal, 18, a student of Guru Nanak Public School, Sarabha Nagar believes. Chahal was the Class XII topper in Guru Nanak Public School with 93.7% last year.But he concedes tackling the boards and preparing for IIT JEE was no mean task. However, Chahal says he kept his wits about him.
"It is important to keep your mind stress free and relaxed. I did not give up my hobbies even days before the exams. I played and watched movies but at the same time I made sure I devoted time to studies. The last two months before the boards were crucial," said Jibraan.As of now, Jibraan is doing BTech in computer science and engineering from IIT, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. According to him, success depends to a great extent on hard work and support of parents and teachers.
Besides that, Jibraan feels time management is a key element in both preparation and answering of test papers. "Despite all the hard work you put in, you have only 24 hours in a day. From the moment the date-sheet is released, students need to make sure they concentrate on weak subjects," he said.
The students' approach to the question paper is also of great significance. "You keep aside at least 10 minutes to scan the question paper to get an idea of which questions to attempt first and manage time accordingly. While revision, you should list a problem the moment you come across one and get it resolved by your subject teacher," he suggested. This high achiever is grateful to his family members, who, he said, stopped watching television for two months to help him prepare. With all the academic milestones he has covered, Jibraan is an enthusiastic footballer and artist.