Interview with Satwik Patnaik of Deepika English Medium School, Rourkela: “Chosen as India’s Representative for the Junior International Olympiad on Astronomy & Astrophysics”

This conversation was conducted with Satwik Patnaik by Siddharth Kumar Gopal, a class 10 student of St. Thomas Residential School, Kerala, and an Emerging Leader at NoticeBard.

For the benefit of the readers, could you tell us your name, grade, and school?

My name is Satwik Patnaik. I am currently in grade 10th. I am from Deepika English Medium School, Rourkela.

Can you describe some of your achievements till date?

I wouldn’t call them as “achievements”, at least when I am talking to others about this. Those are basically stepping stones, in my journey of studies. Some of them are winning medals in private olympiads, such as SOF and Silverzone. Though they are not true olympiads, they help you get better in your studies. I am selected to represent India in the 2nd International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics Juniors (2nd IOAA JR).

Which is the one achievement that you are most proud of and why?

I am most proud of getting selected to represent India at international level. The reason is that I am representing my country, and not myself. I am feeling extremely proud to carry the tricolor.

What are your favorite subjects and why?

My favorite subjects are Maths and Physics. Both of the subjects are logical and never-ending – so many interesting things to know and apply. I love Maths Olympiad, not JEE maths. I really enjoy learning about astronomy and astrophysics.

Is there any subject that you are not fond of? How do you study such subjects?

There is no subject as such, that I am not fond of. I feel every subject can be made interesting if taught in the right way. For example, if you take history, we read that to know what mistakes were committed in the past in general, and we should not commit them now. Basically to take learnings from them. Instead, I feel most of the focus is given to remembering the dates. I read them with interest, not worrying about exam questions.

On a daily basis, how much time do you spend on your studies?

It depends. I love studying, so I don’t have any such fixed timetable. Just when I feel like studying, I study.

What do you do in your leisure time to relax?

I normally listen to songs and play video games. I love looking at nature, in my leisure time

What advice will you give to other students who want to become a star student?

I am not a ” star” student. I am just a student who loves studying and wants to know more about our universe and why and how things happen. The advice which I would like to give is “To Enjoy studying”.

What are your future ambitions?

I am not very clear on my future ambitions. The only thing I am clear about is to contribute to society in a good way as much as possible.