My ride from being an average student to a
Gold Medallist
This short essay type book is a true story of mine, where I will be talking about my experiences the struggle that I have gone through. How strong that struggle has made me. Where I am standing today, and what are my plans about future?
I truly hope this short essay of my life will help several students, who sometimes think about giving up on struggle?
I was born in Pakistan in a small town, which is located at two hours drive from the capital Islamabad. My background is from an average joint family where everything was together. You cannot do things on your own. There were always pros and cons of having a joint family.
My early education was from a school that was very disciplined and strict towards education as well as discipline matters?
I was an average student up until grade three. That’s the point where I had my first ever-outstanding exams performance in the class and I stood at number 4. I started feeling that, I can compete with other students, I can get myself improve and become better than other students.
I started studying very hard, and kept on improving. Though I was not a very intelligent student, but I just started to work extra harder than other capable and extremely intelligent students. We started feeling a sense of competition with each other in our classmates.
Some of my classmates are not very hardworking, but we were always very close friends. The reason was because we all belonged to the same area.
It will take me ages to go through all of those amazing moments that I have gone through with my early schooling. It had several ups and downs. But in the end of that school in 2004, I ended up achieving 2nd Position in the whole badge when we finished that school.
Then, it was the time to change our school; I went on to study in one of the very reputable school in the city, which has very good reputation, based on their yearly results. The students from that school in the city used to always score higher in their marks. And it was considered as one of the most difficult school to get admission in. I still remember the night, when I was preparing for the entry test for that school which was named as Saint Francis High School.
I was very scared to go for exams, but luckily I got admission in the school and it started a new passion and journey in my life.
At that point my joint family had bought me a bicycle because of being good in studies. But, I still remember I was an average student. I was never been bright. But though I used to get good grades on because of my hard work. That new school where I started my matriculation, which is equal vent to GCSC. Was very far from my house. I had to always ride my bicycle for an hour to get to my school. It was almost 8-10miles away from my home.
Few of my other classmates also joined me there and, that was the beginning of a new journey.
The first year at Saint Francis School was very hard. It was completely new school, new teachers, and new classmates. The way we were taught prior to joining this school was much easier and less pressurizing. However, our new school was full of pressure and a lot of homework’s and exams.
My family asked me to start my school in English medium, because it was though that studying in Urdu medium is not as effective and not good for future. So, with the pressure of my family, I one day took some courage and visited my head of school in the office. I requested by writing a small application, which I am willing to study in English medium with a very small group of students who were being taught in English medium.
My principal of the school was rejecting me by saying, that I joined this school by giving exams in Urdu medium. I have to prove myself by giving another new exam in English in order to be able to get admission in English language medium. The difference was all the students were taught all the courses in English language.
I got bit scared, and I was not very confident. So, I did not go back to my head of school to make another request for joining English medium students. Instead I started my journey by studying most of the courses like mathematics, physics, and computer science in Urdu language that is the national language of Pakistan.
I still remember I used to go to school in the very early morning. It used to be very cold and foggy mornings. It was just the beginning of a new school and I was slowly adjusting in the new environment.
I took me few months to get settled in the new school, but I still think I was not up to the standards of the school. I got 62% marks in my first exams in the school, which was higher compared to new entrants by compared to old students who studied in the school from the beginning It was very low average. Their average was 85%+.
The top ten students of the school used to get their names printed in the banners, which was published in the city. Their name used is printed in the prospectus of the school as well. Each time I used to see a banner with the top 10 students of Saint Francis High School, I used to crave for my name to be printed there. But, I was not very bright to get 80%+ marks to get my name printed on their.
Each morning I used to see those banners printed with name of my seniors printed, it was use inspire me. I used to feel very down compared to those people. They were like an inspiration to me. I used to always pray to be better like them, but I never knew how to get started?
The only thing I had on my side was my hard work and determination.
I could not score good marks during my first year at School and I stood at number 12 or 14 in total 250+ students.
I used to see names of my senior schoolfellows that were really good in studies. It was big inspiration.
My desire kept on becoming out of control. I used to crave very hard and pray to God that, I want my name there. It was very difference feeling like; I wanted something that I was not even capable off.
At the same time, I didn’t get good score during my first year at school. As soon as we started second year of GCSC at this school, the head of school inaugurated his new college that was named as Saint Francis Degree College for Boys.
All my fellow friends were aiming to go to other city in much more reputed colleges. I didn’t think or plan about anything. I started focusing on my 2nd year.
My Journey was to hit the higher marks and get my names printed on honour list. It was very bad desire, which just kept my on dragging. It just gave me a sort of motivation that I want to get my name printed there by hook or crook. I started studying very hard. I started studying late nights.
I used to come back from school by 3pm. I used to have lunch and after refreshment, I started getting back to my studies.
That was another point of turning my life. I started enjoying my studies. I started to study until late night. I used to get my books and start studying late night until 2pm and sometimes 3pm. My dad and family started appreciating my hard work. But, dream was to get my name printed on the banner and honour list of the good students.
The second year was becoming more and more fabulous with the time I started studying hard. I started getting confidence from my teachers and classmates.
My teachers started trusting my hard work in study. I started that track of getting good marks, not because of being born bright, but by studying little extra harder than other students.
Then the time came, we had our final exams in 2006. I scored almost 87% marks in the final year of GCSC. After day and night of hard work in studies, I ended up on 4th Position over all in my batch.
That’s how my name got printed on the banners with other high scoring students. It was a very blissful feeling. I had never felt blessed and peaceful before that. It was a sense of achieving something, which I was craving from last 2 years.
That struggle to get my name printed on the banner was truly amazing. It was like a dream come true.
That was also the time to start my Fsc exams, which was equivalent to A Levels. Most of my friends went to different well-reputed colleges of that time. I decided to go for Saint Francis Degree College, which was newly started by my principal.
I still remember it was summer very hot day, and we were invited to college by our principal to learn about facilities of the college. We were given a presentation by our head of school that why we should join the college and continue our studies there?
I was impressed by the presentation; they also gave use refreshment on that day, which we really enjoyed.
I wanted to start my college studies in computer science from the same college because that was my major subject in school. But, my parents forced me to start studying biology, so I can become doctor.
Upon my parents insist I started to study biology, but I never liked or understood anything. Perhaps the reason was all the books in college were in English language.
I joined summer camp and studied with medical students for almost 1 month, and ended up wasting my time. My father took me to the principal, to whom he said I should study medical. But luckily my principal told him to let me study whatever I like.
That was also another turning point in my life. I was given permission to study what I liked. The next month of summer camp I really enjoyed studying computer science. Every course was in English; I started working hard in college.
I used to go on top of the roof of our house, and sit on a small broken sofa and study all day long.
My motivation was to become best and get top grades in my college. We used to have big problem of load shedding in college, which got worst in year 2007. My family gave me a small mobile phone, which had torchlight. I started using that torchlight at the night to study my coursework in the dark.
I am not trying to talk and impress what I did. I am just sharing what I went through and how it was paid off very well.
College life was great fun. We did not have to stay in college all day long. If our classes were finished, we were allowed to go home.
It was amazing time. I started getting good marks in my exams. Our college’s building was newly built and it was different feeling studying in unpainted college.
My family was not very strong financially.
I had my friends who were from rich background or at least better than mine. They used to spend their free periods time in the cafeterias. They used to buy and eat food there. I used to try to hide in the library pretending to be studying, but the real reason was, that I did no have enough money to eat or offer to buy to my friends.
It was very tough time of my life. But as nothing stays forever. Everything has to go and life always changes. I kept on studying very hard, and gaining confidence from my teachers. I used to be considered as a very bright student in the college, because I started getting good scores in the exams. But, I know I was not the best. There were much more brighter students than myself. I was only working harder.
The day when our official results were being announced, I was sitting with other batch fellows with our physics teacher. Who asked me son the highest marks are 416 out of 470. Would you be able to beat? I told him Sir, IF GOD Willing, I Will.
After few hours of wait, I was able to check my score on the Internet and by the great help from God I was able to score 431marks in the finals of year one. I was the topper of the college. It was amazing feeling to be the topper.
We came out of the class and were talking together in the corridor. That’s when I saw my head of college coming towards the next classroom. He started walking towards us, and within a second all my friends disappeared.
The head of college came straight to me and shook hand with me. It was amazing feeling, I am unable to describe. My Principal encouraged me that, if I continue studying hard likes this. I can score a good position on district level, which means I was able to compete on higher level and get top ranks in studies. That was the day another challenge sat in my mind. I started targeting for more higher in my second year. My name was printed all over the banner by scoring good marks in my year 1.
Year two of Fsc (A Levels) used to be considered even more difficult, and one of our best physics teachers used to say. If you guys can even maintain your average, it will be a great achievement.
I kept on studying harder and harder day and night. And, our final exams came where I studied very hard. After giving all of my exams, we had to wait for 3 months for our results.
During my exam of physics, I ended up having accident on my motorbike with a car. I was injured and my fingers of right hand were badly scratched when I fell from the motorbike and dragged for 3 meters on the side road.
It did not put me back. I kept on studying hard. I came home after visiting doctor, and straight to my bed. Luckily I had 2 days before my next exams. I stayed in bed and kept on studying harder in the bed.
After the exams, one day my principal called me and told me to apply for FAST (Foundation for advancement of Science and Technology) University, which is still one of the best universities in computing and engineering. He gave me a newspaper adds, where it was written on how to apply for university. I was from an average background home. We had a wireless telephone, which was very expensive to use Internet. I followed my principals advise by help of God managed to apply online for the admission in that university.
That was my first time proper interaction with Internet where I submitted something online in 2008. Our town was not very progressed.
In July 2008, I was offered a space in the University, which I felt really grateful and I was very hopeful I could do well. But I had serious financial problem, because it was a private university, and I was from an average background family.
One of my family members supported my fee for the 1st semester.
Our final results were due to be announced by mid of august 2008. I was going to offer prayers with one new friend who I became good friend when, I joined my hostel. It was beginning of a new life in the hostel, which was very hard in the beginning. I had never stayed away from home. One the way, I received a call from my head of college.
He congratulated my first and told me that I have got position in the board of Gujranwala, which was awarding body for exams of levels and consisted on 6 or 7 districts.
I was very happy with that friend. We offered our prayers and it was one of my best prayers where I felt grateful for the blessings of my GOD.
All my other new friends were excited, it was even 5pm and 4 of them came with me to drop me to get a taxi and go towards my home. I had to take a bus and travel 3 hours to reach my home.
I came home and told my family that, I have got some position in the board, which I did not know. We went to the Gujranwala board early morning with some of my family members and my principals of college and couple of teachers.
That’s where it was announced that I have got Gold medal in computer science. All my hard work of 4 years was paid off. It was heavenly feeling. I felt so grateful for everything in my life. I was given gold medal and I scored 86% marks in my college. It was truly an amazing feeling. I feel very grateful each time, I think about that moment.
I can never replace those memories in my life. Truly, it was one of the best moments in my life. I can imagine studying at nights on top of our house roof with no lights and only using my mobile phone. I think Education is the most important thing in life, and we should all work hard to spread education to new coming generations.
This is my short story that how a very little boy who was average in school. I could score only 62% in my first exam in school and four years of extreme hard work made me capable of getting my name printed on the banners in the city and as well as achieving a Gold Medal which was an icing on the sugar. It was truly a great blessing.
My lesson is, if you are hard working person, and you want to get something in life. There is no force, which can stop you until you are fully working hard with full dedications.
