Rohin Gupta

What does it mean to you to be in the top 10? 

It’s an achievement that reflects all the work I’ve put in, and I’m really proud to see how far all my work has taken me.

What is something you wish you could tell your freshman self?

It doesn’t matter as much as you think it does. If I wasn’t in the top 10, it wouldn’t have mattered as much as I initially thought.

What is your most memorable part of high school? 

All the friends I’ve made because they’ve made it such an enjoyable experience. There are times where the stress of high school gets overwhelming, and it helps to have good friends to relieve that stress.

What are your thoughts on the current education system?

It places a little too much emphasis on grades, which causes a lot of stress. It should focus a little less on grades and more on how much dedication you show to a certain subject.

What are your goals for the future? 

The habits I’ve made these four years in high school will help me succeed in college. It lays a framework because college is obviously a lot harder. It’ll definitely be easier to succeed in college and will set me up for success in my career and getting a job.

What is your secret to success?

I don’t think there’s a real secret, but in terms of getting ranked, work as hard as you can to get the best grades you can and that’s really all. 

What was the hardest lesson you had to learn during high school?

It’s okay to fail and make mistakes. In ninth grade, if I did badly on a test, I would beat myself up about it, but now I realize that it’s just part of the process.

How did you stay motivated and what was your motivation throughout high school?

My intention was to keep my grades as high as I could, and when I found out I was ranked, that motivated me to keep my rank or increase it. 

How much effort did you put into studying after school?

There’s a couple days when I had no homework and I would go home and do whatever I wanted, but there were other days where I would stay up until 3 a.m. doing work. On average, two to three hours a day, I definitely should have used my time better since I procrastinate a lot.

What is your advice for younger students?

If you really want to be ranked and that’s the only thing you want to do, then take as many AP classes as you can and get the best grades you can. In general, it would be better to just take the AP classes you know you’ll enjoy and still try to get the highest grades you can, but if you don’t, it’s not the end of the world. Take things you enjoy and don’t stress too much.

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