L J Ravi 
Bengaluru, November 02, 2021: The easiest way to win distractions is to eliminate them was the success mantra for Sonit Sai Reddy Vasipalli, a student of Aakash Institute in Bangalore, who obtained AIR 56 with a score of 705 out of 720 in NEET UG 2021.
One of the things he did, as he was preparing for NEET during the lockdown, was to make sure that there was no smartphone around him. “When you have a phone next to you, it is very hard not to check it. It is not about you or anybody else. It is quite natural,” he feels. The mobile phone he was using for accessing video lectures and other study materials did not have any social media app. “These apps were designed to suck you in and kick you out of your focus,” he reasons. To be 100% fool proof, he even made an arrangement of not knowing the password of the smartphone – every time he had to use it, he explained why he needed it to his mother and asked her to unlock it.
When it came to subjects, it was not easy for Sonit to decide on whether to pursue Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Physics, Chemistry, Maths. He was happy learning both till Class IX. But he realised that he had to make a decision soon, if he were to score high in a competitive exam. Sonit chose the former as he started developing a liking for biology. His mother, who was working as a biochemist and who quit her job to be available for Sonit and his younger sister, helped him make the right decision.
Though Sonit could save time as he did not have to travel to the centre for his classes and tests during the lockdown, he did not know how to use it. He says: “Here is where Aakash came into the picture. The institute had introduced a structure to his preparations from the beginning till the end. It gave me resources like NCERT Maps, diagrams, and formula books. I got new perspectives of the same subject. I did not feel bored.”
His mother pointed out that the staff from Aakash called her quite often to make sure that Sonit was not following his schedule and was not facing any difficulties with his preparations during the lockdown.
Sonit found physics extremely interesting, but he was comparatively weak in organic chemistry. He read over and over again but he could not make much progress. So he tried new ways of conquering the subject. One of them was listening to explanations from Aakash’s staff and writing short notes. With time, he was making progress. Sonit’s future goal is to realise his potential and make a difference to the society in whatever way possible. He is looking forward to joining a reputed medical college.
In his comments about Sonit’s achievement,Mr Aakash Chaudhry, Managing Director, Aakash Educational Services Limited, said, “One thing so special about Sonit is that the moment he knows that he has a potential in something, he makes all the efforts to achieve his full potential. It is not about competing with others, rather doing his best. I think this attitude is what helped Sonit to score big in NEET. I have no doubt that he will shine in whatever he chooses to do in his life. I congratulate Sonit and appreciate his parents for their support and guidance to him.”
