Why my mental health wasn’t affected by
exam pressure.
In high school, I was painfully average when it
came to academics.
The only subject I’d excel at on occasion was
English. Other subjects such as Math and Physics
always put me in a tailspin.
But my wake-up call about marks not defining my
life came early on when I saw all my scholarly
friends whine and cry about losing those two marks
after scoring 98 out of 100.
I felt bad for them but also laughed at their
ignorance and foolishness.
Not to bash the overachievers in any way but I
realized quickly that the best marks were never
going to make me the happiest person in the room.
What made me happiest was the fact that I stayed
true to myself during a study session; no
uncontrollable phone usage or other distractions. I
also, take pride in saying that I have NEVER
cheated on any of my exams.
Not even the intermittent class tests that everyone
hates.
However, everyone’s priorities are different. Their
experiences with 10th or 12th boards can also be.
Now that students from all over India have been
handed their “future” in the form of a thin paper, I
want to tell them that it’s JUST a paper. Five years
down the line, the students might even forget the
subjects they had in 12th class.
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Because I have. And, I don’t have amnesia. Yet.
Make a plan now, okay? What’s done is done. Time
travelling is cool but abstract. So, going in the past
and rewriting that answer to earn more marks on it
is not going to happen.
If you did your best and scored what you have, live
with it. Stick to the future instead, tell yourself you
will do better in it and set fresher and newer goals.
The burn of low marks will dissipate if you have a
set of supportive parents or guardians. The anguish
over scoring less will decrease if you steer clear of
friends who like to dangle their “better” marks in
front of you.
And, if you don’t have a reliable support system,
don’t let the exam pressure or its aftermath get to
your head.
Keep positive thoughts floating in your mind
-stream. Which is easier said than done. But
remember that you are more than what an
education board deems you to be.
You’ve got this. Even if you think you don’t.
I scored 76% in 10th Boards and 90% in 12th Boards.
Sure, I could have scored more. But I don’t have
any tangible regrets chaining me to the past.
I like today’s version of myself more than I did
yesterday’s. Make the effort to feel the same from
now on.
So, marks matter but what you do beyond them also
does. And, if you scored disgracefully less,
remember that a sandcastle may get destroyed
under the force of the water but there will always
be plenty of time to build another one, this time
further away from the sea but also in its proximity.
