The morning of the results is still a blur — a screen, a roll number, a heartbeat that refused to slow down and then I saw it: 99.75%. For a moment, I just stared. The next thought came instantly and instinctively — I need to tell my teachers.

That, in itself, speaks volumes about the kind of role they played. They were the ‘invisible hand’, guiding me to a place from where this seemingly impossible task became possible.

In the weeks that followed, I was asked the usual questions — How many tuitions? How many hours? — and my answer was always the same: none, and it depended. A disappointing answer to many, but I think it says more than any timetable ever could.

For one, it means that every student of GDB can be sure our teachers are more than enough. I never once felt the need for external help because of the way our lessons were taught. Concepts in class became clear as glass, and when they didn’t, our teachers were always ready to explain them again — even a hundred times over. My advice? Keep your ears (and mind) open in class. If you fail to grasp what is taught, question!

The wonderful thing about a school like GDB is that it does not ask you to just mug up the right answers but rather teaches you to ask the right questions. Anyone who has been in class with me knows I often took up at least five minutes every period with tangential questions — and I’d urge you to do the same. Engage with concepts, apply your own brain, and the understanding will stay with you forever, no memorising required.

With the changing pattern of question papers, it’s clear that the Council values understanding over rote learning — and this will only grow in importance. Of course, some memorising will always be necessary, but reading textbooks passively rarely works. Try active recall: quiz yourself while studying to see what you truly remember.

At the end of the day, not everyone will top, and not everyone will be academically inclined. Some will sing, dance, act, play sports—and some will still be figuring it out. But in GDB, everyone has their place and their moment to shine. School is the place where you decide what that meaning you want to give your life. Whether your dream is to top, make a film, or see your name on a bookshelf someday, dream big — and GDB will give you the wings to reach it.

So, to anyone reading this: make your own meaning. Live a life that the five-year-old you, would have been proud of. Have ridiculous, unreasonable dreams and chase them with everything you have. And when your moment comes — whatever form it takes — I hope your very first thought will be to share it with the people who believed in you from the start.

Priyadarshini Mukherjee,
Batch of 2025.