Board results result in flood of distress calls

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Beating examinations blues is never easy for any student, and now that results are out, a lot of them are still facing varied dilemmas. After the announcement of the CBSE Board exams results, anxious and depressed students are calling up helplines and counsellors seeking help.
Dr Geetanjali Kumar, CBSE Helpline counsellor says, “From the day results are out, we have been receiving non-stop calls from anxious students. A lot of students who couldn’t score well usually have common queries about compartment exams, revaluation forms etc. A lot of students who get second or third division also call up and express their anxiety. Some of them really sound low and we try to counsel them.”
The main dilemma that students are facing after the result is how to make the right career choice after school. Dr Dherandra Kumar, clinical child psychologist and consultant with Jamia Millia Islamia University, says that most students who have got their Class 12 results call up for career counselling after exams. He says, “There has been an increase in the number of cases of students distressed after results are out.” The most frequently asked question is ‘I don’t know what to do next’ and many students are tense about getting through their favourite course and college after school. A lot of students who couldn’t clear medicine or engineering entrance exams, call up after seeing their results to look for alternative options and for advice on how to deal with family pressure.
Dr Rachna Khanna Singh, lifestyle management expert at Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon says, “We are getting a lot of calls from depressed students and parents after exam results are out. Mostly, students who are unable to face the pressure call up and ask for advice. Some even express that they are feeling very low and feel like ending their life. Sixty per cent of the calls are from children who are frustrated because of a prolonged period of stress, which starts even before the exams.”