After securing all-India third rank in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) and becoming the second female topper, one would think that Tummala Snikitha from Hyderabad, Telangana would be over the moon. But when we got in touch with her, she sounded as grounded as her mother, Dr Laxmi Reddy, indicated she would be. Snikitha successfully secured 715 out of 720.
Snikitha, a student of Sri Chaitanya Junior College in Narayanguda, says that her mantra for success was consistency. "I had a goal in mind and I wanted to achieve it," says the youngster who turned 18 recently. She would participate in online classes, give her all during study hours that the junior college conducted and apart from that, she would study for about two to three hours extra. In total, no day would go by without her dedicating 11 to 12 hours for preparation.
For a humble girl who decided just two years ago that she wanted to be a doctor, just like her parents, she showed extreme dedication to her preparation. But what about writing an exam in the times of Corona, did that not weaken her resolve? "I was focussed only on the paper and nothing else," says Snikitha with a one-track mind and adds, "Before looking at the paper I was really anxious, but once I saw the questions I felt confident." Now, the next goal in mind for Snikitha is to get admission in AIIMS and she hopes to start serving people soon.
"When we were taking all the precautions and going to the hospital, we did not see why she couldn't take all the necessary precautions too and attempt an exam," says Snikitha's mother Dr Reddy, who is proud of her daughter's achievement. She also asserts that her daughter has always been mentally strong so all they had to do was offer their unwavering support. "We helped her with time management and the rest she was adept enough to do," says the proud mother.
Apart from Snikitha, two other students from Telangana featured in the top 15 all-India rankers list which was announced on October 16, 2020. While Anantha Parakrama B Nookala secured the eleventh rank, Sai Trisha Reddy secured the fourteenth rank. A total of seven students from Telangana secured their place in the top 50.
