How to Manage College, Maintain a Good CGPA, and Still Build Real Skills
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In college, everyone acts like you have to choose one path:
- Either chase CGPA
- Or focus on skills and projects
I used to believe that too—until I cracked a simple system that worked every single semester.
I consistently scored 9+ CGPA, and no, I didn’t study all day or sacrifice my skills.
The secret? PYQs. That’s it.
The Honest Truth About University Exams
Let me say this clearly:
I have always achieved 9+ CGPA using only PYQs.
Not textbooks. Not 500-page PDFs. Not random notes from five different people.
University exams are predictable. They don’t test depth—they test patterns.
Once you understand that, everything changes.
Why PYQs Matter More Than Anything Else
Most college exams:
- Repeat questions
- Slightly twist old numericals
- Recycle theory topics again and again
So instead of studying everything, I did this:
My exact approach:
- Collected only 2–3 years of PYQs
- Not 10 years. Not ancient papers.
- Just recent PYQs (most relevant to the current pattern)
That’s it.
From those PYQs, I:
- Identified repeated questions
- Marked important numericals
- Prepared short, exam-focused answers
And guess what? 👉 More than half the paper felt familiar every time.
If you’re wondering where to get clean, organized PYQs:
- You can get them from studentsenior.com
It saves time you’d otherwise waste searching WhatsApp groups or unreliable PDFs.
Studying Smart > Studying Hard
I never studied for “knowledge sake” during the semester.
My priority was:
- What will actually come in the exam?
- What carries marks?
- What has appeared before?
Daily academics rarely took more than 2–3 focused hours.
That alone was enough to stay ahead of 90% of the class.
Meanwhile, I Never Stopped Working on Skills
Here’s where most students mess up.
They say:
“I’ll focus on skills after exams.”
That day never comes.
Instead, I followed one simple rule:
- 8–10 hours daily for skills
- No breaks. No excuses.
- Same time slot every day.
Not grinding. Just consistency.
Skills Grow Slowly, Projects Make Them Real
I didn’t chase 10 technologies at once. I picked one skill, went deep, and built projects around it.
Not:
- “Completed XYZ course”
But:
- Built something
- Broke it
- Fixed it
- Understood it fully
Even 2–3 strong projects matter more than a folder full of certificates.
Why This Balance Works
- PYQs protect your CGPA
- Projects protect your future
- Consistency protects your mental health
You don’t need to choose between marks and skills. You just need to stop overcomplicating college.
Final Advice (From Experience)
- If you want a good CGPA → solve PYQs
- If you want a career → build skills daily
- If you want peace → don’t follow the crowd
I didn’t top the class by studying more. I topped it by studying smarter.
College rewards those who understand the system—not those who burn out trying to fight it.