Dear students about to receive your grades,

I know that each day, as you get closer to the the results, you are a little more afraid. I can feel your heart in your mouth. You’ve worked so hard for this. You bought all the books and religiously did all the question papers. You skipped hanging out with friends for 2 hours of Physics. You missed a cousin’s wedding because you had to get maths into your head. In fact, you don’t remember a time when you didn’t have exams on your mind.

Today I want to tell you something. Our society is lying to you. Whatever marks you score is not a reflection of you as a person. Marks mean nothing, especially board marks. It is an arbitrary and often unreliable way of checking someone’s competency. So whether you get a 75 or a 93 in Chemistry, it doesn’t make you a worse or a better person. You could have distinction in all the subjects and still be a mean person. You can score less than 70 and still have the kindest heart. Don’t let anyone compare you with Sharma ji’s son. You will still be you, today, tomorrow, once the marks have come, and when eventually everyone has forgotten about it.

You have given it your all and that’s what matters. This was a test of discipline and you have passed with flying colours. Five years down the line, you will realise how meaningless these scores are. They are simply one of the things you need to jump from one level to the other.

Know that these days will pass by soon. And no one is going to give a rat’s ass about how much you scored in your X of XII. So it really is not worth your tears or anything more drastic.

Instead, take a deep breath. Tell yourself that you are more than your report card. Then enjoy this time that you have. Work on improving yourself. Be kind to someone everyday. Laugh with your family. Go for a walk. Smell a flower. Draw something.

Explore the options for your future. Choose that which you love and are good at and leave the rest. You deserve to be happy with what you are going to do for the rest of your life.

Love,