“Run After Knowledge”? Unfortunately, Marks Decide Our Future.

Academic pressure on students has adverse effects on children’s mental health. The pressure that society puts on students to be perfect along with the pressure of academics can lead to mental stress and affect a child’s mental wellbeing.

It would be much easier if a student’s life was as ideal as in movies and TV shows. Those A+ grades that they get so effortlessly, that first rank that’s a piece of cake for them seems like climbing Mount Everest in real life. Most of us would admit that getting the teacher’s attention in the class was hard enough, let alone getting a good rank or topping the class.

As if all these things were not stressful enough, society makes it even harder to cope with all that’s going on. All of these factors take a toll on the student’s mental health. Every one in four students suffer from depression in India, and while it may not be of much concern to society, the individual is suffering every day.

The expectations of parents are skyrocketing while the child’s situation is being neglected. Indian competitive exams like IIT and UPSC rank among the mightiest competitive examinations in the world. More than 10 lakh students appear for the IIT-JEE examinations annually. Contrary to the whopping number of students competing for the exam every year, very few of them succeed.

Let us now take a look at how it all affects the mental state of the students.

“Log Kya Kahenge”: How Society Puts Pressure On Students

No matter how much we try to deny it, society does play a big role in affecting students’ mental health all over the globe. The notion of “log kya kahenge?“ is common to almost every Indian student. The opinion of society ranks even higher than the dreams and passion of the child when we come down to priorities.

As I mentioned before, many students appear for competitive exams every year but have very little success. What happens to those who fail? Mostly, they fall into a deep hole of overthinking. Thoughts of being incapable, worthless and incompetent fill their mind. As if these thoughts weren’t enough, we have the society keying in at the wrong time to remind them of their failures.

The student is already handling a great responsibility of the studies, which, let me tell you, are not easy at all. The last thing we need is the taunts of people, half of whom we do not even know.

Having the results published in the local newspaper is a good act, but it has bad consequences, just like everything. In a way, it sends a message to everyone: “while many have aced the exams, some students have failed miserably”.

If we think logically, no one, literally no one, wants an unsuccessful life. Everyone works hard to get and achieve what they want. But there is a certain time for everything. For example, a student might not be prepared when competing for the first time, but they might get accustomed to the pattern of study after a while. Or just like everyone, learn from their mistakes.

So dear society, stop bugging in the matters which aren’t yours.

The Pressure Of Being Perfect

Studies might be a very important part of our life. We might require it at all points in our life. But does one really think about how it all affects the mental state of the students? The simple answer is no; we do not. While every parent wants their kids to achieve the best and have a comfortable life, most of them do not think of the effect it has on them.

As we grow up, as our minds become more capable of handling pressure, our studies kick in and test our ability to do so. In our school and college life, more than learning about other things, we learn to handle pressure from studies and extracurricular activities.

Perfection is impossible to achieve, but for some unknown reasons, people feel that when it comes to studies, you can achieve perfection by studying 24/7 and cutting yourself off from the world. The endless whirlpool of dilemma forms most of a student’s life, taking away all the fun.

Getting A’s in your papers might be the top goal, but would it help reach satisfaction? The scales of student suicides are increasing day by day. The reason for this? The constant pressure. There can be no better judge of the students than the students themselves.

While keeping all this in mind, let us talk about the study course. In no way, shape or form is it easy. While the number of candidates for competitive exams is increasing, the opportunity of succeeding is decreasing.

“The more you study, the more your chances of succeeding” has become the motto, which in my opinion is impractical. People might put emphasis on knowledge and say “do not run after marks or ranks, run after knowledge”. But as it turns out, marks decide our future in the harsh reality. Showy degrees and good ranks attract people.

In this constant tussle, we forget that there is a sufferer, none other than the student.

What does this have to do with our mental health? If it wasn’t obvious by the above rant, every aspect impacts the students. We cannot lessen the competition, but we can help them out by supporting their decisions and guiding them in the right direction. Let’s not forget they are the future.

As everyone wants a successful future, let’s do our part in their success. We tend to remind them of their responsibilities as students. But what is the guardian’s responsibility? To be a friend, a guide and a mentor. So, let’s take a step forward in the right direction.