Eagle Era

Oviya Ravi (11) does what it takes to ensure success on all fronts

By Ananya Pangarkar

“The biggest thing you’ll hear people saying about her is, ‘How is she so smart? How does she do it?’” said Ranvir Thapar (11) regarding his friend and dance teammate Oviya Ravi (11). Between an AP-packed schedule and participating in, teaching, and captaining a dance team, Ravi has become someone whom most look at in awe and wonder how she does it all.

At school, Ravi’s reputation centers on her intelligence. Her close friend Saanika Urgaonkar (11) said, “She’s extremely smart, and if you have a question about something and you share that class with her, you would be going to her first to ask questions because she probably has an answer.”

Ravi rejects the idea that this academic success comes naturally despite others’ assumptions. “There are people who think I don’t study and I am naturally able to get the grades I have, which is difficult because it diminishes the amount of effort I put into school,” she said.

The reality involves careful management from her side. Ravi said, “I use a lot of to-do lists to keep myself on track. I have a whiteboard where I keep track of school assignments, and my stuff is constantly littered with Post-it notes.”

Ravi has made sacrifices to maintain her current schedule, such as art classes, which she enjoyed before high school. “That is something that I wish did not have to happen. I started art when I was really young because I was always drawing when I was at home, and I got pretty good at it,” she said.

This sacrifice was not a conscious choice, though. “It would just be like, ‘Okay, I don’t have time to go [to art class] this week,’ and that just kept continuing,” said Ravi. “I’m in the middle of a piece that I haven’t worked on since freshman year. I don’t even need to finish it. I just want that one piece back.”

Sleep is another casualty. “Most of my free time is at night after my work is finished. I usually spend an hour watching a show or reading before I go to sleep, but I don’t know how much that counts as free time because I am compromising on sleep,” Ravi said.

Thapar confirmed this struggle. “Oviya is probably the most perfect person until it comes to her sleep schedule. She is undoubtedly one of the hardest working people I know, but that usually encroaches on her sleep,” he said.

The time she has after sacrificing sleep and hobbies is devoted to doing schoolwork or other extracurricular activities. Ravi said, “I think it’s worth it in the sense that I feel accomplished with how much I’ve done and how well I’m doing in school.”

Despite the constant reevaluation of what is worth her energy, Ravi protects her dance commitments. “Teaching dance is one of the most rewarding things I do,” said Ravi. “There are often weeks when I have so much to do that teaching starts to feel like a burden, but as soon as I am in class, I can forget about everything else that is going on.”

Ravi prioritizes dance in her busy schedule because of how important of a hobby it is to her. “She never overlooks dance, and she is really good at managing her schedule to show up when she is needed,” said Dixit (Photo Credit: Kai Sugano (12)).

Her mother understands why dance remains as a constant in Ravi’s life. “Since she enjoys it and that is one way she de-stresses from the school workload, we don’t force her to stop it or cut back on it.”

Aayushi Dixit (11), a close friend who teaches dance with Ravi, sees how she manages both worlds. Dixit said, “Somehow, even with her other extracurriculars and school schedule, Oviya shows up to every meeting and practice. She never overlooks dance, and she is really good at managing her schedule to show up when she is needed.”

Ravi also intentionally makes an effort to not sacrifice her relationships. “This year I made it a goal for myself to not say no to hanging out with friends because of school, and that has made it easier for me to find a balance between personal life and academics,” explained Ravi.

Unlike many high achievers driven primarily by grades or college applications, Ravi’s motivation comes from within. “My mindset is that once you commit to something, you have to figure it out,” she said. “If I’m taking hard classes, they may be difficult, but I have no choice but to figure it out—and I know I’m going to. That confidence is what gets me through everything.”

“I think it’s kind of innate,” said Ravi, regarding the root of her drive. “When I was in kindergarten, the teacher at my daycare would let me go sit in the room with the first graders doing their homework so I could observe them. I never wanted to go sit and play with toys; I was always very academically oriented even when I was really young.”

This intrinsic motivation becomes apparent when considering how Ravi approaches learning. Urgaonkar, who shared a class with her in elementary school, recalled, “When we first got introduced to decimals, she didn’t understand it fully, and honestly I didn’t either, but I just went along with it. I was like, ‘Okay, this is just how it is,’ but [Ravi] wanted to learn about it in its entirety. She was asking a bunch of questions until she finally got it.”

Ravi doesn’t claim to have achieved perfect balance. “[Balance] is definitely possible, but it is difficult to achieve. I don’t think I have mastered it,” she said. “I don’t want to maintain a similar pace in college. School can be very overwhelming, and I want much more time for myself.”

[Left to right] Ananya Pangarkar (11), Ravi, Finn Dotson (12), Varsha Bhat (12), and Thapar. Ravi does not let her academic or extracurricular commitments get in the way of spending time with her friends and forming core memories from her high school years. “She always makes time for her friends. She’s the kind of person that will text you not because she needs something, but just to talk, catch up, or share a funny story,” Thapar said (Photo Credit: Ananya Pangarkar (11)).

She understands that her pace isn’t feasible long-term, but this lifestyle sets her up for success so she can relax in the future. “If I push myself now, then I’m setting myself up for better opportunities in the future. [This choice] wasn’t intentional; it’s just who I am,” said Ravi. 

Actions are stronger than words, though. In the future, Ravi wants to be more realistic with her commitments. “Right now, I’m trying so hard to balance extracurriculars and school, but once you get to college, that becomes less of a priority,” she said. “College applications are no longer something to worry or think about, so that takes a lot off my plate.”

Even so, her parents have seen growth in how she handles pressure over the past few years. Her mother explained, “She has learned to prioritize her school work and outside activities over the years. Before, she used to get very stressed, but now, not as much.”

Her father added, “Oviya seems a little calmer about outcomes than before. She still puts in a lot of work, but I feel she is moving past what has happened a little better than before.”

Though she’s worked hard to build this balance, Ravi is the first to admit it’s not always sustainable. “The main thing that helps me is to just remind myself that everything will work out eventually. Everything happens for a reason, and I should just trust myself to do what needs to be done,” Ravi said.