Just when I started enjoying my vacation, it hit me that the exam results were on the horizon. All my happiness was gone and all I could feel was anxiety about the exam results. We all try very hard to make something come true, to achieve something for ourselves and for others. Exams are one such step towards our achievement. It is a test of fire. Passing or failing these exams make us feel positively or negatively about ourselves. It affects our confidence. In fact waiting for the results can be a scary time; it's like you have an appointment with fear! As the hype starts to gain momentum, your stomach starts to churn. Of course this is normal. It is to be expected that you feel stressed, nervous, panicky and anxious. You may not even realise that you are feeling the effects of stress. Most of us also worry about how others, especially family and close ones, might react to our results. A good exam result has become something to brag about to our friends and relatives. A bad one is seen as the end of our academic career.
Academic career does not have an expiry date
In reality there is nothing called an end of the academic career. In fact Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Walt Disney, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Sachin Tendulkar have had a real tough time with their academics. What makes them successful? It is their determination and belief in their own abilities.
While you await the results
- 1. Keep on with your life. Don’t miss out on happy moments worrying about something that you cannot predict. Life is not about milestones, it is about moments.
- 2. You can consider taking up hobbies and doing things that you love to do.
- 3. Learn something new that has always caught your interest.
- 4. Outings, trips and excursions help you get away from stressful environments.
- 5. Enjoy little moments with family and friends.
- 6. If you have just taken your SSC or HSC Boards, you can consider career options for yourself and even discuss them with your family and friends. Career counselling helps if you are confused with figuring those out.
| There was a man who failed in business at age 21; was defeated in a legislative race at age 22; failed again in business at 24; overcome the death of his fiancée at 26; had a nervous breakdown at 27; lost a congressional race at 34; lost a senatorial race at age 45; failed to become Vice President at age 47; lost a senatorial race at 49; and was elected as the President of the United States at the age of 52. This man was Abraham Lincoln. He refused to let his failures define him and fought against significant odds to achieve greatness. |
Do this to keep you from going over the edge
- 1. Breathe – When you hear about results and fear starts to take over, sit down and breathe deeply. Have a sip of cold water.
- 2. Talk to yourself to relax – Talk as if you would talk to a 2 year old, in a sweet and lovable manner. “OK! Calm down…you’ll be alright.” – is one of the things you can tell yourself.
- 3. Talk to your friends – Sharing defuses fear. Even if all of you might be sailing in the same boat, talking about how you feel might make you feel better. Some of us can confide in our parents. If the feeling of fear and sadness lasts longer, please consider talking to a counselor. It will not only help you lighten your head but also give you clarity about where you want to head in life.
- 4. Face your fears and then let them go. Accept that you are afraid. Sometimes, crying your fears out also helps. Empty your mind and then you will be able to fill your mind with positive thoughts.
- 5. This too shall pass – Although today seems very tough, 10 years down the line, you will look back and smile at this day. Ask seniors or elders who have been in your position about their experience.
| Thomas Edison reportedly failed 10,000 times while he was inventing the light bulb. He said, “I have found 10,000 ways something won’t work. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” |
After the results are declared
Put your results into perspective: Whether you have achieved the results you expected or not, remember that exams are stepping stones to something bigger. Exams are not always goals in themselves; they can be a means to a goal. Stepping stones can be of different sizes and sometimes may be difficult but the important thing is for them to be used productively to reach where you want to be. Marks should not be the goal; they only help you reach the next class or a level closer to your desired career.
| The Wright Brothers spent years working on failed aircraft prototypes and incorporating their learning’s until they finally got it right: A plane that could get airborne and stay there. |
- 1. Talk your mind out. Talk to people who make you are comfortable – family, friends or a counsellor.
- 2. There are more than 800 career options available today. There is no reason you have to tread the conventional road.
- 3. You are precious. Hurting yourself in any way will just hurt your close ones- not to mention that it wouldn’t solve anything.
- 4. Pray, focus on good things and move forward. If you have the will, you will make your way!
| Bhagwad Gita Children in Chapter 2 verse 47 of Bhagwad Gita Sri Krishna tells Arjun, “You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.”So once your results are out move forward with full determination and plan your next move carefully irrespective of the result. See what the best course of action for you is. Don’t get carried away by your friends. |
Obsessing over your failure will not change the outcome. In fact, it will only intensify the outcome, trapping you in an emotional doom-loop that disables you from moving on. You cannot change the past, but you can shape your future. The faster you take a positive step forward, the quicker you can leave these debilitating, monopolising thoughts behind. —Aniket Raja
