Lessons from My Class 12 Boards 2019 Experience: Overcoming Setbacks to Achieve My Goals

From the small town of Lakhisarai in Bihar, India, I came with a dream to secure a high percentage in my Class 12 board exams. However, my journey was far from smooth sailing. Here’s what I learned from my own mistakes and how I overcame obstacles to reach my goals.

My Journey Starts with Preparation

Just as many students might face, my preparation for Class 10 was less than stellar. Filled with hours of cricket matches and computer games, I didn't achieve the 10 CGPA that was common among my peers. Despite this, I managed to scrape by with a respectable 9.8 CGPA through hard work in the last months of the year.

Taking Revenge on the 12th Boards

Armed with a strong resolve, I vowed to do better in Class 12 and secure a solid 95. I kicked off my preparation, completing my syllabus by the 21st of January 2019. The pre-boards were a setback, greatly affecting my confidence. After this, I spent almost three weeks revising my notes and NCERT books to regain my conviction.

Board Exam Day-by-Day

- 20th February 2019: Music Paper – Happy and confident that I would score above 95. - 2nd March 2019: English Paper – Semi-successful, but I felt good overall. - 5th March 2019: Physics Paper – Shocked by the difficulty level and completely unconscious of the mark I would get.

- 12th March 2019: Chemistry Paper – Personally considered a scorer, but my lack of confidence and sleep-deprivation ruined my paper.

- 18th March 2019: Mathematics Paper – The final paper, completely aced, and relieved that the board exams were now over. Envisioning Kota for the IIT entrance in a few weeks’ time.

The Demobilizing Result

On the day of results, the simultaneous ringing of phones in Kota’s classrooms signalled the publication of the Class 12 results. My heart was a knots of excitement and fear as I entered my details on the CBSE website. The results were a stark contrast to my expectations:

My final score was a mere 429 out of 500, which equated to 85.8%. My dream of getting above 95 was shattered, and I was devastated by the results, reflecting on how my performance in Physics had affected my overall score.

Lessons Learned

The experience taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes, what we aim for may not be what we achieve, and that’s okay. In Kota, during my drop year, I realized that ideal scenarios are rare, and the key is to adapt and learn from real-life situations. This mindset shift will be instrumental in my future endeavors.

I hope you can learn from my mistakes. Perseverance, hard work, and resilience are the keys to success.

Thank you for reading and taking the time to reflect on my journey.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Since writing this, I've gained 700 views on my blog. This journey has been educational and emotionally taxing, but it has taught me invaluable lessons. With a bit of reflection and hard work, I hope to inspire others to pursue their goals. Here’s to better preparation, less fear, and higher aspirations in the future.