Setting – A living room in an apartment in Mumbai
Rain pitter patters against the grill as Advita (10th std) and her mother, Radhika, sit in the hall with hot chai mugs in their hands.
Advita (voice fatigued, half-smiling): Mom… school resumed in June, and May was just endless prep classes—tuitions, mocks, study groups. It’s not boards themselves that I’m afraid of; it’s the incessant din. My school posts last year’s topper photos, relatives send me text messages every weekend, ‘Have you begun boards prep?’ Coaching classes test us every week and categorize us based on scores. Everyone assumes I’m on. It’s so extra( extra dramatic).
Radhika: I agree, beta. Pressure has grown much more than it was three decades ago. When I was in the 10th, there was no online coaching or high-tech mocks. We didn’t even have teachers in our Kendriya Vidyalaya. All we had were some textbooks and classmates. But even then, expectations were real
Advita: But at least you never had your cousin’s expectations, weekly aunties checking in, or group WhatsApps treating every test as a referendum or the social media downpour on how to top the exams, how to study like toppers, how not to fail. This is a continuous vibe check ( sensing the mood) —a pressure meter never off.
Radhika: Exactly. This pressure wave—it’s all over the place. Schools display high scorers, and everyone tells you how focused or invested they are. But listen—being a statistic is not what you are. You are the protagonist of your own story, not another percentile.
Advita: I do want to be locked in, not solely for board prep… I want calm and purpose, not burnout. And the constant comparisons? Last month, I felt like I was getting an L( loss or failure) before I even began, just because I didn’t have a coaching pass like half the class.
Radhika: Beta, that isn’t your loss or failure unless you make it so. You set the terms. This is your unique story.
Advita: I just want to prep smart and not feel like I’m drowning. I want to breathe, remain true to myself.
Radhika: Exactly, that is the way.
Advita: It’s crazy… some days I’m so exhausted that even studying is tiring.
Radhika: Then it’s time we make a plan—your plan. One that brings focus and breaks.
Advita: Really?
Radhika: Yes. You deserve space for focus and chill. Excellence isn’t texting ‘100’ to your aunt or friends —it’s being yourself while you prep.
They share a smile. The rain slows; their atmosphere softens.
Advita: Thanks, Mom, for understanding me. I think I can prepare with complete focus —but still breathe. And if May appeared to be the biggest failure? That was only a beginning plot. I still have time.
They tap chai glasses—to clarity, calm, and a mutual promise of authenticity over board pressure.
Advita’s tale is not one of beating the system—it’s one of setting her own pace, claiming ownership of her prep, and remaining herself amidst the board exams chaos. Even in a pressure-filled world, staying true to oneself and giving the best.
( The above article is largely inspired by my real-life conversations with my mother about how I should meet the pressures, stay positive, and face the challenges as I prepare for my 10th Boards.)
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