Nothing comes without a sacrifice. Being an average kid, I have always wondered what special do toppers do. Why some people excel in every field and why some struggle for even the little things in life. A year in Kota taught me things that were priceless.
Kota, the place famous for its astounding results in two of most difficult exams of the country IIT JEE and NEET creates an educational environment for almost 1.5 Lakhs Students every year. But what does a Kota student do that gives him an edge over the others. Let’s see:
Their daily routine of an aspirant is pretty much involved in attending classes and solving problems. But the mental state is on a whole another level.
The day starts with a loud alarm and some post examination stress that comes along with the weekly test. Aside from the tiresome homework, getting up in the morning with around 4 hours of sleep is probably the most difficult task every Kotaite faces. We hurry to the classes with a breakfast of “Poha” and “Kachoris” which are immensely popular and available of every street.
We get to the class and get the seats; with our friends the latecomers are welcomed with class cheering “Aaaaaaaaooooooo” Then comes the exhausting part that requires 6-7 hours of classes. But fortunately, that’s equally the most fun part. The reason is ” The awe-inspiring teachers”. They are undoubtedly the best teachers one could ever get in life. The way they uplifted our spirits when we were demoralized was admirable. They would crack jokes, tell stories, techniques and methods for increasing productivity helps us in many aspects to life other than studies too. Their way of teaching which makes even the most dreadful chapters easy to understand is amazing. They would speak up about the problems they faced and how we may tackle them. After 6 hours of classes the last bell seems to be a savior. It’s like ending of one phase.
Close to 2’o clock, the extreme hunger compels us to reach the mess as fast as we could. No matter how awful the food is, you’ll get used to it eventually and start appreciating the little “Specials on particular days.”
The afternoon sleep after the heavy lunch ends in no time and before you know it the work timing starts again.
Around 4’o Clock we are back to the study table. This time of self-study is something which remains with us for the entire life. During these days I learnt to be alone and not lonely. How to work in a closed room without distractions and not stressing about what people think or what they are doing. Being cut off from the world and giving more than 100%. It’s not about the studies it’s about pushing your limits.
Sometimes there might be days of feeling low and claustrophobic when we might question our decisions and no one to talk to but that’s what improves us in the long run.
A Samosa or Pani-Puri break helps a lot in focusing. Not to forget the group studies (that were not actually group studies but group joking sessions) and study break we took to visit the City Mall or eat Biryanis or watching movies once in a week. Those were some good times.
The dinner time is at approximately 8:30 PM, where we are hoping on the way there might be something delicious (but of course that’s not the case almost 90% of the time).
On the way back to the hostel with friends there aren’t conversations about Bollywood or Politics or Religious. In Kota it’s different, it’s about what teachers provide better notes who have better style of teaching what questions are challenging. And most popular “This inorganic chemistry is the worst”.
After bunch of discussions and goodbyes we reach our hostel and the same schedule is followed again. During nights you could find two types of people The Night owls and The Early Risers.
Being a night owl myself I assure you the late-night snacks has a separate significance (The Night owls will relate). It’s not until our eyes are tired and we can’t stand studying anymore we go to bed. Complete homework is a myth. No matter how hard you work there will always be a thing or two that you left off. But after working all day long the satisfaction when we’re off to sleep is immense. With another few hours of sleep, it’s morning again and “BACK TO THE ROUTINE”
And that’s how you transform an average student to an extraordinary rank holder. It’s true they say “NOTHING COMES WITHOUT A SACRIFICE”
Report By: Ayush Arya