It is more than a fortnight since school board result was declared. Students were seen waiting for their result with bated breath. Despair was writ large on their faces. They were excited as well. They were dead sure that the result would be out that day, as they had already come to know about it. They were excited and restless. Excitement began to evaporate by the evening, with the failed students becoming sad and the students scoring marks less than their expectation becoming even sadder.
My childhood friend’s youngest son was sad and pensive, even though he had passed the examination in first division and scored more than 74 per cent in aggregate. He was sad because the result was not up to his expectation. His result was not as impressive as to bring smile to his face and excitement to him. He had expected that he would pass the examination with distinction – well – with flying colours.
I dropped at his place just to know how he had fared in the examination and what the result of his year-long hard work was like. I was stunned for a while and lacked of words to express my surprise. It was like he had not worked hard, it was like he hadn’t burnt the mid night oil, it was like he had not paid heed to studies. It was like he had taken the examination lightly, instead. It was as if he had not prepared himself for the final battle of his school life to break through the iron-gate. It was natural for him to become sad; and if he had worn a deserted look and shed tears in isolation wailing that he could not pass the exam with flying colours, it was like he was trying to remember with which papers he had not done due justification.
Fearing that he might be frustrated like hundreds of students, I sort of motivated him and said that he could do even much better in future. I joined with his parents in their chorus that he would succeed and obtain marks enough to get admitted at a premium engineering, provided that he worked a little bit hard for another two years.
I often wonder what it will be like if students - hopeful of excelling in the examinations – fail or score much less than what fails to meet their expectation. They should be motivated and encouraged: failure and success are two sides to a coin. Failure and success come to life alternately. Failure should, however, not be attributed to their mental inability to catch up with their class mates or keep pace with what is taught in class. Failure to succeed to score marks can’t be taken as students’ weakness or inability to succeed in examinations.
My friend’s son has, over time, somehow or other managed to adjust to the post-result situation and is prepared to enroll in a local college. He has gained confidence over time and learnt how to preempt his post-result pain. This is an example of how he has coped up with the post-result confusion, tension and situation. Mom, dad and siblings did their best in restoring confidence in him and making him believe that he can do even better in years to come.
What are the students who failed or who have scored marks less than their expectation did post-result? How did they manage or cope with the situation, especially with the trauma that they had to undergo after their dream of quality results got shattered. What might their parents or siblings have done to console them? What idea might they have devised to pacify them? What steps might they have taken to encourage – not discourage – them? These are few questions, among others, that we, as responsible persons, should seek answers.
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