Ardra Ashok
School: St. Thomas Residential School
Class: 6
| What's one or two achievements that you are proud of? I am a consistent International winner for several Olympiads in English such as SOF and CREST. I also had some stories and poems published in Young World and Kidsworldfun.com. |
| What is your biggest fear and how do you overcome it? I used to be afraid of failing competitions, especially in English. However, after a few losses, I realized that you win some, you lose some. I felt more confident after writing an exam. |
| Who is your ideal and why? My parents are my role models because they inspire me to try new things and console me if I fail. Without them I wouldn't have been able to get this award or any other merits. |
| Which public figure (sportsperson, actor, etc.) inspires you the most? J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter, has an inspirational story behind her success. Her manuscript of Harry Potter was rejected by three publishers. However, she never gave up and found an apt publisher. She inspires me to always keep trying no matter what the odds are. |
| Who or what keeps you motivated? The small achievements and successes that I get keeps me happy and encourages me to work towards my goals. You always need to have a small something that keeps you hyped. Otherwise, nothing will be interesting. |
| Have you thought of your career line? What do you want to become and why? I have a dream of becoming an author one day. Being an author enables you to use your imagination and convey it to the world. You can share your thoughts and words to everyone around you. |
| If there is one gift you would like to have, what would that be? I would love to get a sleek bicycle, if this is a more materialistic question. My best gift would be the seemingly impossible State of no global warming or climate change. |
| Your favourite memory that you would like to share? All my memories from my three years in America are something that give me feelings of happiness when I think about them. I long to go back there someday. |
| What's one thing about you that your friends don't know? My friends know almost everything about me, but they don't know that I actually am more of an introverted personality, I don't show it to them. I prefer staying inside reading than talking to huge groups of people. |
| What is your secret of making friends? The main thing you have to do is smile. Nobody likes a person who looks grumpy, so smile! If you're speaking to someone, which you should do, make eye contact and speak in a casual, fun tone. Sit with someone you don't know instead of your same old friends. This expands your friend circle and helps your communication skills. |
| What are your hobbies? How do you keep a balance between your hobbies and studies? I absolutely love reading. In fact, all my friends say that I read too much! I also love swimming, drawing and cooking. I generally make a schedule to maintain equal time between my hobbies and studies. |
| Which is your favourite sport? When did you start practicing and why? My favorite sport is football. I don't really practice football but I love the game and hope to go for classes someday. I love it because it's really fun to kick the ball around, keeping an eye out for other players, and then kick it at the goal, waiting in anticipation for your ball to go in. |
| What do you love to do the most in your free time? Whenever I have free time, I read. I love reading all sorts of books in every genre, although my favourite genre is fantasy. Reading transports me to another world, so it's my favourite pass time. |
| What are your study tips for getting better grades in school examinations? First of all, you need a distraction-free zone, otherwise you won't be able to focus. Remove all electronics and toys from your study area. Then, you have to keep everything prepared, so you don't have to constantly get up and collect what you want. Last, don't study everything in one go, take breaks and eat and drink to keep yourself satisfied and able to focus. |
| How do you prepare for Olympiads? I prepare for the Olympiads by looking up the sample papers on the web and the mock tests also helped a lot. Mainly, you need basic knowledge of all concepts. |
| How has appearing for Olympiad exams helped your studies? The Olympiad exams helped me get to a higher level than the rest of my classmates, which made me a teachers' pet (if I do say so myself). It also improved my knowledge on several concepts I didn't know before. |
| Do you have any advice or tips for students who are interested in appearing for Olympiads? You should definitely apply for such competitive exams as it helps broaden your knowledge on several subjects. If you fail the first time, don't give up! Keep on trying and you will improve. Even if you aren't able to win prizes, you can still gain so much knowledge. That is prize enough. |
