Date was 17 March ’24, time 9:55 am…LUB! DUB! I could hear my heart pounding. The day ushered immense exuberance and nervousness. Let me go down memory lane and narrate the reasons behind these overwhelming emotions.I bagged the incredible opportunity to represent my school at the IIT Tryst Fact Fiesta. Preliminary screening was conducted at the intra-school level and finally, Aarav Mor and I were teamed up to go for the Zonal Level. Awesome! Right?
The online competition commenced at 10 a.m. GULP! What I saw on the screen were almost 50 participating schools! Some of the institution names were intimidating but I tried to breathe and maintain focus on Round One, which was the Elimination Round as it would set the ball rolling.
The questions ranged from science to art to authors to current affairs (the organisers ensured they left nothing unattended) – some of them straight but most were really tricky! The results saw me on cloud nine! Suchitra had topped the list with a score of 19 out of 20! Let’s go!
After what seems like eternity, 8 teams were moved to Round Two. This was an oral round wherein apart from knowledge; we were assessed on our critical thinking and risk taking abilities. We lost out in the opening question – a historical monument I just couldn’t place. Uh Oh! This put us under stress but we knew we had to fight back. With focus, wit, and luck on our side; we finally made it to the Second Position and entered the Finals.
My teammate and I are excited to be a part of the finale at IIT Delhi. We hope we can bring laurels to the School but most importantly, I’m looking forward to the experience at the top most University of the country. The Zonal Round showed me the importance of concentration and mindfulness, and also the knack of taking a calculated risk when it comes to bonus points. Fingers crossed for the path ahead. Wish me luck!
By Aneesh Menon, Stage 7