Study is also an Art.

Nayantara's niece, Mithi, arrived at her house about three days ago. Mithi's Higher Secondary examination is just one month away, but her preparation is completely lacking.
​Nayantara recently passed the CTET exam and secured a job as a chemistry teacher in a government school; she will be joining in 20 days. She has been very talented since childhood, so her elder sister, who is 12 years older, is relieved to leave her daughter with Nayantara—hoping the girl can at least learn something from her aunt.
​The results of Mithi's test exam had pretty much made her family give up hope. She scored 38/80 in Mathematics, 17/70 in Physics, 57/70 in Chemistry, and 68/70 in Computer Science. It was then that her aunt stepped in and promised to take charge firmly. She said, "I want every student to first think about 'how' to study before they start pondering the questions of 'what' and 'why' they should study. We have forgotten that studying is an art, just like singing, drama, dance, recitation, painting, or culinary skills."
​The day Mithi came home, Nayantara handed her a chart.
"What is this?"
Nayantara spoke in a soft yet serious voice, "One month is a lot of time. You have to make good use of this time, and for that, you must follow a few fundamental principles. First, your daily routine. From now on, you will wake up between 4:30 and 5:00 AM, meditate for at least 15 minutes, and then start studying."
"Why early morning, why not midnight?"
"It is scientifically proven that when any student wakes up early to study 1-2 months before an exam, 'healthy hormones' are released according to our biological clock. This keeps the brain very fresh and alert. Moreover, the correct light spectrum is available for concentration. On the other hand, staying up late at night to study releases some 'harmful hormones,' which lead to fatigue, depression, and brain fog (lack of concentration). But champion, let's get started from tomorrow."
​From then on, Mithi's struggle began. Her Higher Secondary examination was like the battlefield of the Mahabharata, where she was Arjuna, and Nayantara was by her side like Parthasarathi (Krishna). Following her aunt's instructions, she studied according to the schedule. Nayantara kept her phone during study hours, and the laptop was only for lectures. If Mithi didn't understand a concept, her aunt would explain it using various everyday examples.
​One such evening, when Mithi was studying Chemistry with a frown, Nayantara came over and asked, "What's wrong?"
"How did you manage to get Organic and Inorganic Chemistry into your head? I can't even memorise the D and F block elements in the Periodic Table, and then I have so many reactions to study! For instance, the Reimer-Tiemann reaction or the method for preparing Toluene—nothing is sinking in."
​"You learn different styles of Rabindra Sangeet, Nazrul Geeti, and Folk songs; you must remember all those songs, right?"
​"Yes."
​"That's because you sing those songs from your heart, creating feelings and emotions. Conversely, you cram your studies thoughtlessly and by rote, just revolving around the idea of getting marks, which goes into your short-term memory, not long-term. That's why we never say we are learning to study. When I was your age, Physics initially seemed very difficult to me too, because I would just memorise concepts, formulas, etc., without trying to understand them. But when I got to college, and it was a minor subject, our Physics professor never opened a book. Instead, he would bring various items to demonstrate practically and ask the students to perform functional tasks. For example, one day he brought a weighing scale and a small empty aquarium filled with water to explain buoyancy. He showed how our normal weight is greater than our weight while our two elbows are submerged, which is a real-life application. That's when Physics truly became easy. He didn't just teach; he simultaneously fostered the visualisation power of every student. He was the one who explained what studying actually is. Therefore, if we change our perspective, it is possible to understand everything, because every example in our daily life is an example of Physics. It is said that Newton 'discovered' gravity by connecting the everyday event of an apple falling with the motion of celestial objects. So, it would be better if we comprehend the applications and try to understand where, when, and how a concept is applied before rote-learning any chapter. So, think practically."
​"That is not the answer to my question."
"Mnemonic devices... are extremely helpful methods. You must have studied 'Babar Hol Abar Jwar Shabil Ousudhe' (Father had a fever again, took medicine) to memorise the names of the Mughal Emperors, or 'Add Sugar To Coffee' in Trigonometry to illustrate the signs of the respective trigonometric functions in the anti-clockwise direction. Similarly, an easy mnemonic for memorising the first column elements of the D and F blocks is: Science (Scandium), Teacher (Titanium), Values (Vanadium), Chemistry (Chromium), [Giving] Faith (Fe i.e., Iron), Confidence (Cobalt), And (Nickel), Comfort (Copper), Zone (Zinc)."
"Wow, what a nice technique."
​And so, day after day, Mithi's efforts continued, working tirelessly. Now she is no longer afraid, as her aunt is always there to encourage her. Her aunt explained that the real fight is not with anyone else, but only with oneself. How you advocate for yourself is what matters. Along with that, she taught various techniques of Gurukul education, the Pomodoro Technique, and the Pareto Principle. In their leisure time, the aunt and niece watched educational movies and listened to motivational songs.
​...
​This year, Mithi secured 95% in her Higher Secondary exam, ranking third in her school, with 95/100 in every subject. Her family is extremely happy, but Nayantara is the happiest.
​Mithi: "If you hadn't been here, none of this would probably have happened..."
Nayantara just smiled and said, "Okay, that's enough. But remember, you must study to learn, not just to get marks. I want every student to learn to study just like they learn any other art. Let there be a movement in society: studying is not something to be feared, it's something to be learned. May everyone's perspective change."
"I realised that no one is born a topper, nor is anyone mediocre. Hard work brings success."
Nayantara noticed the burning passion in Mithi's eyes and smiled a serene smile.