As many of you know, I was a #12thSkip, meaning I skipped 12th grade, and in 1998, I held the 4th rank at the state level among circuit branches in Tamil Nadu, scoring 98.3% in my diploma. Despite this, I had my fair share of nerve-wracking exam experiences as a student.
One vivid memory is from my first-year chemistry lab practical. I made a calculation error and couldn’t identify the salt I was given. After the exam, I cried non-stop, convinced I’d failed and that my parents would be devastated. The pressure felt unbearable, as though I’d committed a terrible crime. When the results came out, I had scored 72 out of 75! My calculations had been off, but I had followed the process correctly, as my teachers reassured me. Looking back, I can see how much unnecessary pressure I’d placed on myself. If your children are taking exams soon, give them a hug and help them see the bigger picture.
My second such encounter was during my third semester in engineering, in a mathematics exam. After completing my diploma, I joined engineering directly in the second year, two months into the third semester. As diploma holders, we were expected to keep up with additional bridge courses to cover what we’d missed in the first year. The workload was intense. I fondly remember our energetic math teacher, “Suppandi sir,” who would hold extra classes just for the 12th skips.
He used to challenge us with tough math questions, and I’d often say, “Sir, give me something more challenging!” My classmates weren’t always thrilled about this, and I created a bit of peer pressure for myself. This led to a high-stakes moment during the actual math exam. As I skimmed through the paper, the questions seemed manageable, but as I began solving them, I struggled to reach the final answers. Panic set in. What if I failed? I’d never had an arrear (backlog) in my life. What would people think? I worried about everything, from my sisters’ future to finding a job. Sweating in the exam hall, I prayed just to pass.
After the exam, I was so rattled that I couldn’t remember if I’d written my roll number on the answer sheet! I rushed to Suppandi sir’s cabin, sharing my experience (though I don’t recall what he said back in 1999). In the end, I scored a B+, over 70 out of 100.
These were some of my experiences while pursuing my diploma in computer technology (DCT) and bachelor’s degree in computer science engineering (BE CSE) at one of India’s top colleges. The pressure of exams can be overwhelming! But we often forget that exam results don’t define success or happiness. Today, we face an “educational bubble” of ranks, batches, and other labels that create artificial pressure.
As a responsible parent, it’s essential to spend quality time with your children and help them take a deep breath when they’re feeling nervous. Exam results are just a small part of life’s journey.
