My Road to Balance

It was never even a dream for this young sporty boy from Assam to step into a prestigious college like St. Stephen's— not because he never wanted to, but because he thought it was way out of his league. Yet, as they say, God has his own plans.

For someone who always kept his love for sports on par with academic commitments, it has always been tough to manage and give my best shot to both.

I started playing squash for fun when I was in 10th grade but became serious about it only after coming to Delhi, where I began training under my first full-time coach. His academy was 1.5 hours away from college. So my normal daily routine in the first three semesters was: 9-2 in college, 2-8 training and commuting, 10-12 catching up on Economics.

What started as a casual hobby quickly turned into a passion, and before I knew it, I was competing at a national level. It still feels surreal to say that today, I am ranked among the top squash players in the country, currently holding the 25th spot in India! To go from playing for fun to becoming one of the top 25 players is something I never could have imagined. The journey has been long and tough, but incredibly rewarding.

For me, academics was never about marks but only knowledge (it might sound a bit cliché, but it is what it is). This mindset really helped me to never be under pressure or exam stress. I ended up scoring a 98.6% in my 12th boards and maintaining a CGPA of 8.5+ as of yet in college, with two of my four semesters above 9.

I think a few things, like

• Time management: Forming a routine and being fully present in whatever you do- be it attending classes, playing sports, or self-studying.

• Consistency: Focusing on quality over quantity and studying at least 30-45 minutes every day, along with training obviously.

• Discipline: Giving 110% in whatever you do. Even if you don’t get the desired results, just being satisfied that you gave your best leaves zero regrets on the way.

have really helped me along this journey, which I feel has only started. Teachers on campus, along with really helpful friends, have been a game-changing catalyst towards learning and growth. Really grateful to be a part of this prestigious institution and looking forward to calling it my own for the one last time this year.