Conversation with Nehal Choudhary conducted by Samyak Jain, a class 10 student of Subodh Public School, Jaipur, and Emerging Leader.
Can you share a bit about your educational background and upbringing? Were there any specific factors or people that inspired you to excel academically?
Talking about my upbringing and educational background, I was brought up in a family where education is given preference. Yes, my brother was the person behind my success who inspired me to excel in academics.
What study habits or techniques have you found most effective in achieving your academic success? How do you manage your time effectively to balance academics, extracurricular activities, and personal life?
For me, there are only 2 habits which I have found useful and effective in achieving academic success. They are doing anything with focus and discipline. For me, extracurricular activities and personal life is equally important as academics. I balance things by participating in extracurricular activities and spending personal time with friends and family when I’m not busy.
Can you share a challenging moment or obstacle you faced during your academic journey? How did you overcome it? How do you handle stress and pressure, especially during exams and deadlines?
There were many challenging moments during my academic journey. One such was scoring way fewer marks than what I was expecting at some time but I overcame it by concentrating on the present instead of wasting time thinking about the past. When I’m stressed or when I’m under pressure which usually happens during exams, I try to stay calm by doing meditation and by listening to relaxing songs. I also do it funnily too, I explain the syllabus to my other classmates which reduces my stress.
Have you had mentors or role models who have influenced your academic and professional development? How did they help you? How do you seek and receive guidance in your academic pursuits?
As I told you earlier, my only role model is my brother. I consider him as my role model because I have learned the value of patience, determination and discipline from him which helped me stay on the right path and become successful like him.
What extracurricular activities or hobbies do you engage in, and how do they complement your academic goals? How do you manage your involvement in extracurricular activities without compromising your academic performance?
I love speaking publicly so that’s one of my hobbies. I have also participated in many competitions and have secured good positions in them, I give equal attention to both co-curricular activities and academics but if I’m engaged in preparing for exams and the syllabus is huge then I’ll prepare for exams only and vice versa as well.
How do you set and prioritize your academic and career goals? Can you describe your long-term vision and how you plan to achieve it?
I set the minimum target. I try to start from the easy things and then I try the hard activities. For example, for the upcoming mid-semester exams, I would set the first target to learn 5 questions instead of targeting the whole chapter and time-bound myself to keep some pressure so that I can do the work more efficiently. To be honest, I’m still searching for what my career should be. I don’t want to be a part of the rat race, rather I want to be the best in whatever field I choose and I want to be the best in it. It should also interest me and it should have a comfortable work life.
What tools or methods do you use to stay organized and productive? How do you avoid procrastination and stay motivated throughout your academic journey?
There are no particular tools that I use but I try to set limitations to make things tougher for me so that things stay competitive and it also allows me to do my work on time instead of procrastination. I also keep things away (electronics and toys etc.) to stop distractions whenever I’m doing some important work or if I’m busy. The most important thing I do myself and I would suggest others to do for motivating themselves is self-rewarding. I realized it’s a very powerful way of doing a task without tiring ourselves and making things interesting. It also allows us to keep doing the task at a pace because we know that we’ll get rewarded if we do it correctly and under time limitations.
How do you approach failure or setbacks in your academic pursuits? What have you learned from these experiences? How do you stay updated and adapt to new trends and developments in your field of study?
You see, I always believe that failures are a part of success, it depends on you and how you think about it. You have 2 options either to take it as a positive gesture or as a negative gesture. I always try to take failures positively to encourage myself to do better in future. Honestly, I do not follow or adapt to trends suggested by people in the field of academics or studies. I believe that natural adaption to things is better than forcefully doing something that your mind or body doesn’t want to follow.
What advice would you give to students who aspire to excel academically and professionally? Are there any specific resources, books, or courses you recommend for self-improvement?
I don’t have any advice in particular but I want to say that believe in yourself never lose hope always be focused on what you’re doing and stay disciplined. And if I talk about resources, I don’t have anything in particular but I would suggest reading the book ‘Anxious People’ to learn about life from a perspective and for about financial knowledge, I would suggest ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad’.
How do you maintain a work-life balance while striving for academic excellence? What self-care practices do you prioritize to ensure your well-being?
I maintain balance by giving equal importance to both types of work, and I also give myself personal time to enjoy nature. I spend some time alone listening to songs and doing simple meditation to relax my mind from all the stress and the workload.
Image taken from Canva.
