ICSE Class 10th Topper Muskan Pathan is the shining example of self-belief & self-study

ICSE Class 10th Topper Muskan Pathan Abdullah

Muskan Abdullah Pathan from Pune emerged as the ICSE Class X exam topper with 99.4 per cent. A student of Hutching High School, Pune, Muskan was extremely thrilled to know the exam results. According to this 15 year old, this success came as a surprise that she never expected. She said, “I was never one of the toppers in my class. In fact, till Class 8, I was not even in the top five. I started taking my studies seriously only when I reached Class 9. Infact, even in my Class 10 preliminary examination held at the start of the year I stood third".

Unlike other kids, she cracked the exam without any private coaching and secured a perfect 100 in Mathematics and Commerce subjects of her prelim exams which was held earlier this year in her school.

Fond of swimming, badminton and cricket, Muskan was pretty active on Whatsapp even while preparing for her 10th. In her free time, she loves watching TV, playing with her little brother and chilling out with friends.

Coming from a family of 14 doctors, she too wants to continue the legacy and become a doctor. In a candid interview with Shiksha, Muskan Pathan Abdullah, ICSE Class 10^th Topper, talks about her inspirations, future plans and tips on how to study without coaching. Read the full interview on Shiksha.

Thanks a lot.  After becoming the All India Topper in ICSE board, I feel exhilarated and thrilled. When I got the news, I was so happy that I started jumping in joy. This success was unexpected. I just expected 97% or 98% and not All India Topper. Even my parents were overjoyed. Even they started clapping for me. My mom and grandmother hugged me.

You need to start in advance for any competitive exams. I started studying from Day 1 and never missed any chapters. However, it is important to take breaks and not exert yourself. While in School, I used to study for almost five hours and in holidays, I would study an hour extra.

In the future, I am looking forward to become a doctor.

Yes, I have. For NEET, I have joined Aakash classes. I plan to continue my regular study plan. But I would convert 4 to 5 hours into 6 to 7 hours of study.

I would like to devote equal times for college and NEET studies.

I am going to attempt NEET and AIIMS MBBS entrance exam after 12^th.

For NEET preparation I have joined Aakash classes. For Class 12^th, I haven’t decided whether I would join classes separately.

For excelling in the boards I would like to advice students to study regularly from DAY 1. They should refer to previous years Board question papers and should always have a positive attitude and should be confident. But not overconfident.

My mother and father are doctor and software engineer respectively. I want to continue the legacy of my family and thus I would like to become a doctor. I would also like to serve the needy people by becoming a doctor. I have not decided any specialization.

My inspirations were last year’s topper Aditya Iyengar and my uncle Irfan Shaikh, who is a Urologist by profession.  

I guess, my biggest weakness was the fear of not performing well in the exam and failing to meet my own expectations.  However, my biggest strength was the support of my parents and teachers. Besides this, I believed in my abilities and did not pay attention to what others had to say.