Board Exams - yeah, it is a lot of pressure!

Growing up, board exams were a big deal. I remember hearing about them from well everyone really ; whether you're at a family gathering, a festival or even at a regular party - about to eat that delicious Shahi paneer and some random uncle would start lecturing you about how "10th grade is the most important year" and how it 'decides' your entire life. How you need to leave those 'childish' extracurricular activities, how you need to stop wasting time on artistic work, how you need to study for 10 hours a day at minimum to make your parents proud, otherwise you'll not succeed in life.

-Because that’s the 'worst'. Seriously.

Then you get to 10th grade and it’s exactly how your relatives described it. These exams are treated like a religious devotion, its crazy! Your entire future is going to be determined in the course of just mere 3 hours. The pressure is so immense, like a time bomb waiting to explode, that some kids can't take it.

["Police had found a suicide note in his room in which he said he was unsure about his results and that he did not want his parents to face any humiliation because of him if he failed."

[ https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bareilly/exam-stress-class-x-student-who-killed-self-passes-board-exams/articleshow/69208280.cms ]

["I feel we are at the receiving end. It is probably the worst time of my life. For the last eight months, I have buried myself in my books."

"They are pushing us to the point of breakdown"

[ https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/india/anxiety-stress-and-exam-fever-for-indian-students-1.1464591 ]

[ https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/chandigarh/marks-alone-cannot-be-barometer-of-success/772038.html ]

This breaks my heart. These kids were barely in their mid-teens, yet already so fatigued. All that potential, yet now it’s all so tattered. Is there anything more dreadful?

-I doubt it.

The worst part is when I was researching this story, other similar ones came up. Teens who decided to end their lives because they either failed or couldn’t take the pressure. Think about that for a minute. How did it get so rough?

If you fail, your 'entire' life is basically 'hell' from then on. You're branded as a joke/idiot/clown or even worse - a failure, and it’s not something easy to live with. All your relatives are likely to look down upon you, and even compare you with other relative's kids. You feel like an embarrassment to your family. Your entire worth eradicates all because you didn’t do well in one little exam (that honestly doesn’t even define how successful you will become in life). So, is it surprising that today’s kids do something drastic, what choice do they really have?

Sure, your marks matter for short terms - like for stream selection and in some cases university applications, but they're not the only thing that does. Some people aren’t great at mugging up formulas, they're meant for other things. You could be an amazing artist, influencer or maybe even an excellent musician; the possibilities are endless. Maybe you're meant for greater things, this exam doesn't decide who you are.

If you failed or didn't do as well as you hoped, I'm sorry. It’s a sad feeling but you'll get through this. Everyone judging you or looking down on you is wrong. Bad marks don’t make you a bad person. You can have an exotic career and life even if you don’t do well in boards, contrary to every uncle's thoughts and opinions.

Believe it or not, there's this man, who once failed in his school exam, is now receiving the National Award for the works he did. Most of you know him and you might get surprised- it’s Akshay Kumar! There’re even more people who didn’t give up in life even after failing too!

[ https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/akshay-kumar-on-suicide-among-youth-i-failed-in-school-and-today-i-have-a-national-award-watch-video-4638478/

https://www.thebetterindia.com/100407/successful-indians-school-college-failed-drop-out/

https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/7xmked/eight-exam-survivors-talk-life-after-low-board-scores ]

You'll get through this, I know you will. You’re not an embarrassment, you still deserve care. It’s just a matter of time till you do it.

In my experience whether you did well in your boards or not, it doesn’t seem to make a big difference to how your life is. Just give it your best. Ok? Your health and mind matter just as much. Failing an exam does not make you a failure in life. There are tons of opportunities. Remember, your marks might only matter for a short time but, they’re not everything. As Audrey Hepburn once said, “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says 'I'm Possible”.

Good Luck.

Samarth Tehri - 11I