What After 10th?

 

What’s next? Is one question that literally haunts everyone’s mind when parents have children appearing for the 10^th board exams. Today’s generation has such a wide range of choices that it actually becomes difficult to pick the right one at times. Not only the students but parents find it hard to make the right choice. Some students have a set goal in mind and they follow without any distraction and might not find it as difficult to choose which college they want to go to next or what they want to do but some of us face the problem when our children have no idea exactly as what they want out of their life. Of course, the streams are known, that is Science, Commerce and Arts. But the same questions arise again as what next? Because, even if you decide to take science, what in science? If you decide commerce, what in commerce? If it’s Arts, what in Arts? Selecting the core subjects is yet another thing to consider. 

Being the mother of a child who is in 10^th this academic year that is 2021 and will be attending the final boards in 2022, there is so much happening that as a parent I find it difficult and stay in the reality. As a parent we are supposed to be a role model for our children in terms of strength, decision making, problem-solving, etc. We all know, at least those in the same boat as mine that this year all the boards rolled out a new system of conducting the academic year, which is split into two. That is the children in 10^th will have semester exams, meaning board exams twice.

Our children stayed at home for more than a year and a half without moving out of the house and they adjusted to the new norm and agreed to take everything in front of a computer, when we were hit by the Covid pandemic. Play on computer, talk to friends only in chats and phone calls, study with online classes in other words they stayed jailed. Though no one complained about it and it’s something everyone had to face, but let’s appreciate their cooperation, because trust me, we adults are not going to stop at that in asking for their cooperation with every mess we create.

It’s a known fact to all parents that this academic year is going to be a little pressurized compared to the previous two years of high school, but I never realized how much until today. The beginning first couple of months was all about making a choice between offline classes or online classes and then a new syllabus by the board and preparing for the semester exams which was supposed to start from November 15^th.

Did we have time to just study and worry about the semester exams? Of course not! Because of what started as a simple query about colleges and admissions we were told everywhere we went that children need to attend an entrance exam in the month of October and November. This is where children, as well as parents, began to worry, because of the changes with board exams that were newly introduced.

If you are not getting what I mean let me list it out for you.

1)      Pre-boards exam from school

2)      Semester exam by the boards

3)      Entrance exams of various institutes on different dates, which falls in October and November

All these overlapped on the same dates or close by and children are forced to prepare for every exam. Should they give more time to prepare for their boards and study the 10^th portions or should they prepare for the entrance exams and study all the 9^th and 10^th syllabus chapters? Let’s face it, not all children are alike and many do forget what they had studied in their previous academics. That doesn’t mean they are not smart enough, but they need time to brush up their knowledge, however, there is a huge lack of time.

Nevertheless, despite the new system with the board exams the PU institutes refused to make changes in their methods of conducting their entrance exams and went ahead with the same plans as every year. They could not extend it even by a month. I want to ask, who doesn’t know how to cooperate and adjust according to new norms here? But its children who are capable to handle anything told by adults, so it’s fine, they will move on, isn’t it?

Yes, the colleges do have exams every month and later on dates also for the comfort of the parent and student and one could take it whenever it is comfortable. Someone who is approaching all these might know how it works, however being a parent who is approaching for the first time have their own fears and anxieties of getting a seat in the desired colleges. When there is a demand, many students taking the exams earliest to make sure they could get admission also forces others not to wait. Do we even have a choice? The race has never changed.

Alright, we went through this too and somehow children agreed to handle this as well. Our kids spend their time studying day and night to prepare for all the exams they have ahead of them and when they attend the entrance exams, their question paper has questions that are completely out of syllabus and questions from higher classes as of them. Many kids came out of the exam hall in tears, thinking they are not capable. Are they, really? This was really de-motivating to a hard working child who had put the best of his/her efforts. But this isn’t new except for the child who faced it for the first time.

After all this drama, the institutes even ask us to pay the 50% fees in advance now and the window time they give us is just a week. What if we want to try other colleges and need time to think? What if the other institute dates for the exam are farther and we want to wait before we pay a huge amount? Parents and children are in turmoil to make decisions here.  

Let me remind you, there is still pre-boards from the school and boards exam pending which will start as scheduled. Even though that was later postponed to November 29^th. But, we conveniently forgot about them in the hustle of these entrance exams and colleges, dint we? If children score less in boards, whom to blame?

These are some of the unnecessary tension that most children and parents appearing for 10^th board face year after year however if there is careful planning done by the institutes keeping the children in mind, it can be handled much smoothly and also children need not feel the pressure where they reach a breaking point. There is a lot to their life yet and let’s not break their spirits from now on.

Based on my experience I have a few suggestions to share that could help the parents and children in the future, who are appearing for 10^th boards.

1.                 Focus on Goals  

By the time your child starts high school, observe their interest and help them to figure out what they want to become in life. Most schools have also started subjects of commerce and arts to pick from ninth if they do not prefer to go with science stream. So even when they take any of these subjects, it’s important to have a goal as what they want for their career with their subject choice.

2.                 Get to know things

Talk to the parents of the children who have passed out of the previous year and find out things as to how it goes. Start from the beginning of the year and keep a track of all the various exams and schedules. Make a choice at the earliest as which is the college you and your child prefer to join so that when the time comes, you can avoid attending multiple exams and getting confused.

3.                 Start preparations earlier

Most entrance exams are conducted based on the previous year and the current year syllabus. Help your child to prepare for the 9^th portions, like solving the question papers, referring notes and basically brushing up their basic knowledge from the beginning of 10^th, so that they can plan and do it in their own space of time, as we know they are also swamped with their 10^th studies.

4.                 Allow your child to choose

This happens every year as our children are trained to perform like robots if we are not compassionate and understanding. They are not given a choice to act on their interests nor choose to build their career on their passion. Saying that it is also important to guide them the right way. For example, if your child says, I love History and so I want to take arts, it’s your duty to make him or her understand about what are the career choices they have when they want to study history. Let your child decide if she or he is interested to do any of them. When in confusion, talking to a career counselor might help who would guide you and your child based on the subject’s interests.

5.                 Distance and timings of the college

While deciding which college to pick, make sure your child does not waste more time in traveling a long distance just for the commute if you have a choice and if you have other options nearby. Do not reject an institute for minor reasons and choose the one that is too far because children should not be exhausted with their day just with the commute and do not find time to study.

6.                 Do not push more than your child capabilities

This is something I observed lately that for every child who took science stream, parents want to put them for JEE-IIT coaching which could be extremely pressurized to some. Discuss with your child about what is their preference and proceed accordingly if they want to take up the JEE coaching or wants to go ahead with others like CET, COMED-K, etc.

7.                 Choose between integrated and non-integrated

  Some of the colleges are integrated with reputed and performance- oriented coaching centers whose teaching staff come from the reputed institutes. This is helpful in preparing for their further competitive exams after PUC and applying for graduation. Children may have to take extra coaching classes in a non-integrated college. The drawback of this might be that the classes are conducted after college hours which would take more number of hours in the child’s day and have less time to study after reaching home. Also, it’s important for the coaching center and the college to be in sync with the chapters they are teaching, which could be difficult in a non-integrated college. However, there are certain colleges that have excellent coaching of their own and children do not need much help after college hours. So it all depends on the coaching excellence of a non-integrated college.

8.                 Research and learn

The Internet can make you or break you sometimes and it all depends on how you use it and how much you take from it. Research about colleges, opinions, and how well each college in your list is talked about. Depending on your requirement, join forums and find out about the environment of the institutes. However, it is also important to remember that every college has good and bad teachers at the same time good and bad students. So stay neutral when you consider facts.

9.                 What matters really

It actually doesn’t matter which college you pick as long as your child has a goal. Most colleges are trying to give their best service. Some of them have made a name for themselves while a few have yet to reach there. End of the day it’s your child who has to study systematically with a well-planned schedule. Make a note that what kind of friends’ circle your child has, also matters in their college life and it is important as how they influence each other and motivate one another with studies.

10.             Rejection is the beginning

Teach your child that rejection is not the end of the World but it’s the beginning of their better future. When we do something wrong we always learned a new way that doesn’t work and which brings us closer to success. Our children are very vulnerable and being brought up in a nuclear family, they find rejections very hard to accept. Teach them that it’s ok to fail, it’s ok to score less marks and it’s absolutely ok to not take an exam that everyone chases after. Let your child be comfortable with what she or he wants to do, at the same time be vigilant in the choices they do.

Whatever you as a parent do, remember you are doing it with the best interest of your child and learn to stay calm as it is very much needed for your child to think clearly and make the right choices. Still, it always works out for the best and our children will find a way, after all they belong to the smart generation.