His dad was a frontrunner in school and college. Now,u00a0 Kandarp Khandwala has gone a step ahead and emerged as the Mumbai topper in the Std X CBSE examsu00a0

Being a topper is something Kandarp Khandwala (16), has inherited from his father.u00a0
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With a score of 98.6 per cent, Kandarp topped the Std X Central Board Secondary Education (CBSE) from Mumbai, the results of which were declared yesterday.

It was deja vu for the Khandwalas as his father achieved a similar feat 29 years back. The senior Khandwala topped his school (St Annes School, Malad) during SSC and went on to secure a top rank in his college in HSC (Jai Hind College).

No surprisesu00a0u00a0u00a0

The results came as no surprise to Kandarp. "I was 100 per cent sure I will come first from among the Mumbai students, as I did well in my prelims and got 97 per cent," said this student of R N Podar School, Santacruz.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

But it was never all work and no play for Kandarp. He always managed to strike a balance between the two.
"I didn't make any sacrifices for my board examinations. I did not stop playing, nor did I stay away from my hobbies tennis and trekking," said Kandarp.

Unlike other students, Kandarp began Std X in a relaxed manner. Life wasn't just about coaching classes and textbooks. "I went for a trek after my Std IX exams, while others began preparing for the board exams," he said.u00a0u00a0
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No breaks

But when Kandar got down to studying it meant serious business.

"When I study, I focus entirely on my books. I don'tu00a0 take breaks to watch TV or for playing. I don't believe studying early in the morning or late in the night really helps, but studying with dedication without taking breaks helps," he said.

Be positive

While Kandarp feels his diligence worked in his favour, his father believes that positive thinking at the beginning of the day and just before hitting the sack helps one climb the success ladder.u00a0

"We pray early in the morning before Kandarp goes to school. We read good books, not necessarily religious ones, but ones that inculcate good thoughts," said Sunil.

Kandarp is a daddy's boy, but when it comes to his career he has made an independent choice. While his parents are doctors, he has decided to pursue a course in engineering from IIT-Powai.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0