‘I woke up at 4 am and revised daily,’ says KEAM BPharm 2nd rank holder Hrishikesh Shenoy

Kozhikode: Hrishikesh R Shenoy from Kottayam, who secured the second rank in the BPharm entrance exam of Kerala Engineering Architecture Medical (KEAM) 2025 on Tuesday, also secured 11th rank in National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) Kerala and an All India Rank (AIR) of 494.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi, Hrishikesh said, “I was extremely happy to see that I secured second rank”. He had started preparing for the entrance exams alongside his Plus One and Plus Two board studies. “It was a bit hectic as I also had to prepare for my board exams”, he said. 

He also recalled how his mother supported him in his studies, while his father, a doctor at the Taluk Hospital, would help him clear his doubts in the evenings.

His dream is to pursue MBBS at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhubaneswar, and he is waiting for the admission process to begin. Though he received a seat for Computer Science at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Calicut in the first round, he chose not to pursue that option.

Hrishikesh studied at Kuriakose Elias English Medium School in Mannanam, which provided an integrated programme for Plus One and Plus Two students. Students like Hrishikesh were provided comprehensive training for both board and entrance exams. While school teachers focused on board subjects, dedicated faculty conducted separate entrance coaching sessions in the mornings or evenings. 

A day in his life: Study, class, revise, repeat

His daily routine began at 4 am with mock tests. After school hours, which lasted from 8 am to 4.30 pm, he spent the evenings revising subjects like biology, organic chemistry, and theory-based topics. “Towards the end, when the classes got over, I was free in the mornings, and I used that time to solve question papers. Only if I had doubts would I refer to my notes or textbooks,” he explained.

He studied till about 9 pm before going to bed and repeating the same cycle the next day. He made sure to get seven hours of sleep every day.

“For biology, the most important thing is to read the textbook thoroughly,” said Hrishikesh. For physics and chemistry, his approach was to solve as many previous years’ papers as possible. This not only built confidence but also helped him understand question patterns better.

According to Hrishikesh, staying calm and focused is the key. “The mind should be focused, peaceful and should not be scared,” he said. He turned to spirituality to deal with stress and believes that having proper guidance makes a big difference.

“It can be your parents or teachers, but there should be someone to guide you. That’s very important,” he added. His third piece of advice: use the right study materials, books, question papers, and coaching support, to build a solid foundation.