Gurpreet Singh Wadhwa, 19, an alumnus of Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula, had secured All India Rank (AIR) 23 in the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced).
He scored a brilliant 310 out of 398 marks in the examination that was held on September 27. With eyes set on becoming a computer engineer, he now wants to pursue Computer Science from IIT Bombay.
Gurpreet Singh Wadhwa talking about his journey, said, “It was a tedious process that required consistency and dedication. My father, who is an engineer, was my source of inspiration throughout. It took around one-and-a-half year to prepare for JEE.”
‘Focussed on NCERT, mock tests’
“In class 9-10, when I prepared for National Talent Search Exam (NTSE), I got an idea about some basics topics of Class 11. Covering those topics helped me when I started studying for JEE,” he said.
“I took coaching at Sri Chaitanya institute, who helped me prepare for the exam. The first priority was covering NCERT and then we went beyond the syllabus and covered some important topics. In the last four months, I revised everything that had been taught and this ingrained the topics in my mind,” Gurpreet Singh Wadhwa said.
“Towards the end, the focus shifted towards mock tests. These tests proved to be a boon as I could analyse my mistakes with the help of my teachers. I also discussed strategies with them to maximise my potential and minimise the mistakes,” said Gurpreet Singh Wadhwa .
‘Relaxation was important’
“The preparation was all about balance and managing time. Even though I had a jam-packed schedule with my classes and self study, I always managed to take breaks in between to keep the mind fresh. Music and yoga were my main sources of relaxation. I enjoy playing cricket, table tennis and spending time with my loved ones is always a great way to de-stress,” said the topper.
Making the best of lockdown period
“As I was studying according to fixed schedule and calendar, there was a bit of anxiety about when the exam would be conducted. My momentum was built and I was preparing each day, but sometimes I would worry. In this situation, our teachers gave us hope and motivated us all the way. That was a big help and I managed to make the most of the lockdown period. I was able to memorise everything and this boosted my confidence,” he said.
Gurpreet Singh Wadhwa has many achievements under his belt. He had scored 97.8% in CBSE Class 12 board examinations and was one of the two students selected from Punjab for the Dhruv Tara Award conferred by Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu and HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’. The award had taken him to the ISRO headquarters for a two-week programme.
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