Every year, when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announces its Class 12 results, the focus is overwhelmingly on numbers. Conversations revolve around the topper's score, the overall pass percentage, the top-performing school, and whose photograph will grace the front pages of newspapers. This external obsession with marks is only one side of the story.
At home, students often face calls from relatives who secretly hope their own children—who completed school decades ago and are now thriving in life—scored higher. This adds to the immense pressure that students already feel.
A Personal Reflection
I vividly recall the day my results were announced, which feels like a distant memory now. My hands trembled, and my heart raced—not because I doubted my performance, but due to the overwhelming fear of judgment from others. Looking back, I realize that the hardest part was managing the expectations of everyone around me.
People remember your score. They remember the college you secured based on that score. But no one asks whether you slept enough that year, whether you ate on time, or whether you were emotionally okay. They overlook personal struggles such as parental divorce, medical treatment, or the loss of a parent. They fail to consider that it would have been acceptable if you had scored less.
The Bigger Picture
The truth is, the Class 12 board exams are often the first major test in a student's life. If you scored lower than expected—or lower than your annoying cousin, whose opinion will matter little in 15 years—please do not be too harsh on yourself. It is okay. Whether you achieved 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 percent, or even if you did not pass this time, remember that life extends far beyond marks.
While this is easier said than believed, we no longer live in a world limited to conventional careers. Today, people build successful lives through content creation, gaming, startups, freelancing, and professions that our parents never imagined. We spend hours on social media, watching creators turn their daily lives into thriving careers.
Be Kind to Yourself and Others
You may not get into your dream college, and I do not undermine the hard work students invest to achieve what society deems as "good marks." However, I urge you to be a little kinder to yourself. And be kinder to your children.
Children will figure things out. If they scored well according to your standards, celebrate them—but celebrate the effort, not just the numbers. Because eventually, we forget the marks. What often lingers is the anxiety, the shaking hands, and the pressure.
This is their first time facing life, too. The least we can do is be kind.
