My Journey Through 10th Board Exams

One of the most stressful periods of my life was the academic year of 2022-23, which marked my 10th board exams and a year filled with competitive pressure. For me, board exams meant little, but to society and my teachers, they were of utmost importance, akin to a decisive battle like Waterloo. The only thing that mattered to my teachers was how high a percentage a student could achieve. It was disheartening to know that board exam results have little to do with a person’s success, yet society clings to this outdated mindset.

At the start of the academic year, I studied diligently and performed well. However, by August, I fell ill and had to miss school for an entire month. I was never particularly strong in math, and this prolonged absence further weakened my skills. Consequently, I failed my math exam. After that, everything changed drastically. The teachers who once supported me began focusing on other students, and my circle of friends abandoned me. I was the kind of person who helped others regardless of whether they reciprocated. But after this incident, I stopped offering unnecessary help. This experience made me mature and taught me that not everyone deserves unconditional support.

My math teacher started forcing me to attend extra classes, which I did not want to because they were unproductive and a waste of time. Ironically, other teachers also pressured me to attend these classes, even though their teaching methods were incomprehensible to anyone but themselves. My school used to administer three pre-board exams. In the first pre-board, I failed the math exam. Surprisingly, around 40 students failed that exam, and the school authorities, along with my 10th-grade coordinator, decided that whoever had failed would not be allowed to take the second pre-board exam.

I was depressed because my teachers were no longer supporting me, and my friends had also abandoned me. Every day at school felt like hell. My mother went to discuss the issue with my coordinator, and we questioned why I should attend classes for all subjects if I had only failed math. She stated that it was the order of the school authorities, and she had to follow it.

My mother then discussed the issue with my cousin’s brother, who is studying medicine in a foreign country. He advised me to buy some good references or previous years’ books. I checked online stores and bought a lot of previous years’ practice books. This cost me around seven thousand rupees, and to this day, I regret spending that money. I took my board exam while I was still on medication and managed to score 80% overall in my exam.

The whole incident took place around two years ago, but the memory of it is still fresh in my mind. I have now been admitted to the 11th PCM stream in the same school, although I didn’t want to, there was no other option available. When I meet those teachers or the school coordinator now, I don’t greet them because there’s no respect left for them in my heart. Moreover, they don’t deserve respect. Thanks to them, I learned that not everyone deserves your support. This situation left me feeling traumatized and depressed. Fortunately, my parents supported me, and I was able to recover from that difficult time.