India, June 25 -- For Ranchi's Avni Kejriwal, scoring a perfect 500/500 after the recent re-evaluation of her Class XII CBSE board exam sheet was not the result of a year spent buried in textbooks. Instead, she credits maintaining interests beyond academics that helped her stay motivated. "The biggest secret to my scores is that I ensured to keep the world outside of books alive. My last year leading up to the boards was not 24 hours of studying or living life in my books," says Kejriwal, adding, "When studying, I made sure there were no distractions. But, when not studying, I refused to let the pressure of boards isolate me." Alongside her academics, she continued to participate in athletics, playing badminton and basketball, while pursuing her interests in writing and entrepreneurship. "I used to spend a lot of time on the field. I also love writing and entrepreneurship, so I used to write essays and business pitches. So, the next time I would sit to study, I would be rejuvenated," she adds. When boards began, her study time increased to 10-12 hours a day, following a schedule that suited her. "I am not a morning person, so I would study late into the night until 2-3am," Kejriwal recalls. But one subject that remained her biggest challenge throughout the year was Mathematics. "Before boards, it was the single subject I was most nervous about," says Avni. To overcome that fear, Kejriwal focused on regular practice and avoided accumulating a backlog. She adds, "I never missed any tests, be it mandatory ones at school or the optional ones at tuition." With the boards behind her, the 18-year-old is now looking ahead to her long-term goal. "I want to be an entrepreneur and build something of my own," she says....