Success is the outcome of determination, perfection, devotion, hard work, and learning from failure. Although all of us understand that success doesn’t always come easy and we have to face failure at times, but many students take it to heart and go into depression after exam failure. Most of these scholars have probably been facing depression during exam time and the results make them remorseful. Always remember, failure is not the end of life.
Failing an exam doesn’t make you any less talented or less capable of achieving success in life than those who got better results. The failure in exams was just another step towards success. Just have the determination and strength to overcome this failure and move on.
How to deal with failure in Board Exams?
Here are some tips on how to deal with failure in board exams:
- Do not take stress – over thinking about exam failure is not going to change the result rather you will end up being more depressed about it. That is the most important time when you take action to change the result.
- Explore the reasons behind failure– Instead of getting depressed and bewailing the failure, the most important thing is to look at your failure with an analytical view to determine the reasons behind it.
- Understand the power of the subconscious mind – Don’t worry if you have failed the exams, inculcate positive thoughts about taking the next attempt and give your best efforts. This way you get positive vibes and it aids you to approach your next attempt in exams efficiently.
- Be positive for your next attempt– This is what can help you rise above the depressing condition. Do not just keep thinking about the failure rather than think above it. Bring in the positivity inside you that can assist you to move ahead with a wide view to success. Just think that it was only a bad day that will not get repeated in the future. However always remember, being positive is not ignoring the negative. Being positive means overcoming the negative.
- Make a plan – To recover from failed results, you need to assess your priorities and learn about your strength and weaknesses that you faced in your previous exam and modify your preparation strategies accordingly.
- Change your approach– This is the next important thing to do after experiencing a bad result day. For the next time, you’ll be prepared effectively and would not let this happen again. For that, study harder and learn as much as you can, leaving no stone unturned. Work on the mistakes you made in the past exam other than the subject knowledge. The mistakes could be your poor time management, lack of prioritization, wrong selection of concepts/questions, attempting the paper in nervousness, etc. So, recognize your mistakes and change your approach towards your exams.
- Learn from past mistakes – The reason for your laidback attitude with preparation, the strategy was not implemented smartly or it could be exam stress. List out such reasons and eliminate this from your second attempt to board the exam. Always remember that you are not the only one to face failure. Feeling ashamed, hiding, or crying will not help you anymore. But, you have a chance to come up again. Examine where you went wrong and then make sure that you take measures that will help you in your studies. Getting discouraged will not help you score marks instead focus on how to overcome depression after exam failure.
- Seek help – You are already traumatized by your board exam result when you were not expecting bad scores yet you failed. You need to talk about these feelings to your teachers, parents/elders, or counselors to find out effective solutions to them.
- Follow a different strategy for the next exam– When you have failed an exam, you are not able to understand what concept you lacked the clarity that you lost your marks in a paper. Just, don’t be stressed, and instead, take the syllabus for the subject/ exam you failed and start your preparation topic by topic. Cover all your syllabus, gain prominence on every topic, practice well, and appear for your next exam to score well.
- Give your best– Sometimes, even when you have prepared well enough for an exam, but because you were stressed about the exam result. The bare feeling of scoring low, makes us feel stressed and worried. Instead of being depressed or annoyed about the exam, be prepared and confident to appear for the exam and wait for the result to reflect your hard work and devotion.
- Never underestimate your capabilities– You feel you cannot do it again, the second attempt to board exams could be a failure too. If you think that your problem is your low IQ or you are not able to deal with the difficulty of exams. You need to stop thinking like that right here and do not blame yourself for the bad result. Doubting your abilities won’t help you in any way. We have given exams in every stage of your school life and the board exams are no different. So, take exam failure as learning for a lifetime, learn from your mistakes and try again.
- Don’t keep thinking about it– When you’ve let the emotion out you need to move on. Wisdom is that you should concentrate on the things you can change and forget the things you can’t. Just a fool obsesses over something that’s rushed out within hours of the exam. But you’re smart enough so move on and don’t look at it.
Conclusion
Students need to eliminate negative thoughts from their minds by discussing their feeling with others. You will get many chances and second attempts at such exams in life. These are the events that make you strong and you learn to overcome difficulties of life. Board exams or competitive exams are important because qualifying helps you get admission to colleges. Although, failing these exams does not mean your academic and career life is destroyed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. I failed in class 10th last year and sometimes feel like killing myself. What should I do?
Ans. You must understand that failure is not the end of life and you are not the only one who failed the exam. Failure is an opportunity that you can use to improve yourself and score well next time. Kick off the suicidal thoughts and start preparing and be determined that this time you are going to prove yourself.
Q2. My parents expect distinction from me in my Board examinations. I can’t handle this pressure and I can’t focus on the studies due to this. Please help me.
Ans. It is good that you know the exact reason why you are unable to focus. Talk to your parents and tell them that you are doing your 100% and will try to score the best you can but this pressure of getting distinction is putting you under stress. Your parents will surely understand.
Q3. I failed in my class 12 Board examination and planning to give it one more try this year but I am afraid of failure again. My confidence has reduced and I feel I can’t make it.
Ans. The best thing is you are ready to try again. This time when you start preparation, first try to find out what were your mistakes last time and work on them. You can also talk to a friend who can motivate you. Remember, failure is not permanent, believe in yourself, you will surely pass your board exams this time.
Q4. I failed in science subject in my board exams last year. Now I have to give compartment paper but my confidence level is very low. I am unable to focus on my study. What should I do?
Ans. Science is a tricky subject for few students but it doesn’t mean that you can never pass in this subject. If you try hard this time, you will surely pass your compartment paper. Try changing your preparation strategy this time and be confident.
