Dealing with low scores in board exams
Falling is not a crime. Not willing to get up and retry is.As CBSE and ICSE revealed their board results, students all over the country filled with anxiety and ecstasy, got a reality check among family, peer and most importantly at college admission. While some fared exceptionally well and probably gave new cut off goals to colleges, some had to be satiated with an average performance and the other below average had hell broke upon them with everyone either trying to console or taunt. We are not going to do either of these. We are not going to tell you that these scores don’t matter at all. Of course, they do. They make life hell lot easier if you scored above 90%. But are they the only thing that determines your future? Absolutely not!
Let us spare you all the commonly talked about examples of how big business tycoons and actors are high school drop outs and yet know success better than most of those whose board results were above average.
We would rather tell you what you should do now instead of sulking and hiding behind rocks, praying ground to swallow you up. Life isn’t over with board results. After a few years, no one is going to remember your scores. What they will remember about you will be determined from what you do now onwards.
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses: Not everyone is meant to be an Einstein in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. You are not alone in not wanting to do anything in life that involves the complicated chapters of these or any particular subject. Knowing your own aptitude is very important. If you did not perform well in some of these subjects, you should ask yourself if the reason is your negligence or lack of interest in them. If you lack interest in them, you know now that you should keep that subject at bay in college and choose only those that you are strong at. If you have been a lazy and negligent student, now is the time to rectify your mistake and work harder the next time.
2. Get your over marks: If you want to grieve, do it. Lock yourself out from the world and cry at it. But that has to end and you have to get over it. You must learn to recover. Take a deep breath and calm yourself down. Only when you have stopped thinking about the scores, you can concentrate on the future that lies ahead, unpredictable yet full of promises and awaiting your decision. What you decide now will determine your future and not those marks. To be able to make the correct decision, you need to have an open and calm mind, which involves getting over the bad result.
3. Get help when you need: There are career counseling centers in every city. They can show you the way, let you understand your aptitude and introduce you to so many new career options that you can undertake for a brighter and better future. You will agree to the fact that gone are the days when engineering and CA were considered the only reputable career options. You must also open up and talk to friends and people in family who understand your situation and are keen on giving positive advices.
4. Develop your skills: Knowledge and extra skills go hand in hand in making a successful career. There are skill based courses that you could consider pursuing. Strengthen your communication skills, English and inter-personal skills. Read good books, they have a plethora of knowledge and life lessons that can go a long way in shaping your skills and personality. You can also consider taking up short term skill based courses that are considered helpful in determining career option.
5. Take care of yourself: Do not stress over your life. Eat and drink on time. Keep yourself healthy. Only a healthy body can have a healthy mind and the power to make sane decisions. If you over think, remember that you are only making it worse for yourself since there is always a chance that you might get depressed and make wrong decisions. Since it is summer, keep yourself well hydrated as it also wards off stress. Eat healthy and do not take to junk and sweets in order to fulfill your cravings. They are known to make you lazy and feel tired all the time.
6. Win back your parent’s confidence: No one cares or worries about you more than your parents. If they are angry or disappointed at you for your poor performance, take a few minutes to understand that their reaction is just equivalent to their love for you. It is only because they care for you that make them worry about your studies and future. All they want from you is to secure yourself a future where you won’t have to struggle through life. With all that age and experience, they know the ups and downs of life. They would anything to keep you from any kind of sufferance. Apologize to them, talk to them, listen to what they have to say and make them understand what you want to do in life.
7. Scores don’t represent you: Yes, scoring well feels good and helps in securing admission in a good college where the cut off is impossibly high. But that is not all that there is to life. There are other options too. You might want to ask yourself where your true happiness lies. What kind of work or study wakes your senses? Even though you did not do well in the subjects that are of your interest, determine to work hard now and don’t waste time sulking. Get up with the thought and willpower to make each day count. Little by little strengthen your weaknesses and try to gain momentum over your learning capability. These are the things that should represent you and not your scores.
8. Learn to ignore negative people: There will always be that nagging aunt or an over presumptuous uncle who would try all sorts of ways to show you how pathetic your life is going to be because of the low score. Remember that they are just bored old people who are trying to have some fun at your expense. Learn to ignore them or better yet stay away from them. You sure as hell do not want any negativity around you when you are trying to figure out what to do about your career and life. Their opinion and judgment don’t matter. What matters is how you stand up to the situation and come out of it with positive vibes to makes things better for you.
9. Do not look for escape: When you try to escape sorrow, people or reality, you know you are going nowhere. You are simply looking for ways to avoid reality which is not going to help. Face it bravely and prove yourself worthy of reconstructing dreams and aspirations. People leave their well paying jobs to pursue their interest in middle age and come out successful after hard work and perseverance while you get to start over so early that you could do anything that you want. Consider the scores as a mistake you made and learn from it. Learn to work harder and give in your 100% to everything that you undertake.
10. Don’t quit: If you give up and think that life is over for you and there is no good future for you, there won’t be any – not because of your score but because of your attitude. You are what you want yourself to be. If you are determined to achieve success, you will. Quitters don’t get to make history. They only make news that is soon forgotten. Falling is not a crime. Not willing to get up and retry is.
