The Exhausting Journey After Class 10: What Our Children and Families Are Quietly Going Through

 The last two and a half years in our home have revolved around exams.

Not one exam.

Not one board.

Not one entrance test.

A continuous chain of preparation, performance, pressure, waiting, uncertainty, and emotional ups and downs.

My daughter recently completed her 12th standard. Looking back now, I realize that this phase was not just academically demanding for her — it was emotionally exhausting for the entire family.

The journey began with PU college and internal assessments. Then came the board exams. Alongside that were coaching classes, mock tests, and endless discussions about the future.

Before one exam ended, another one arrived:

• JEE Main
• KCET
• COMEDK
• improvement exams
• entrance preparation
• counselling discussions
• college applications

Each exam came in a different month.

Each had a different pattern.

Each carried its own pressure.

And each one somehow felt “critical” for the future.

What struck me most was this:

our children barely get time to recover emotionally before they are pushed into the next battle.

At 16, 17, or 18 years old, they are still figuring out who they are. Yet they are expected to perform consistently under enormous pressure for nearly three years continuously.

As parents, we try our best to support them.

We become drivers, motivators, counsellors, planners, financiers, and emotional shock absorbers — often all at once.

We quietly rearrange our schedules around exam dates.

We track hall tickets and results.

We monitor stress levels.

We stay awake when they study late into the night.

We encourage them after disappointing scores.

We celebrate small wins to keep their spirits alive.

And somewhere along the way, the entire household begins to live according to an exam calendar.

What worries me is that this has become “normal.”

Children today are not just competing academically. They are enduring a marathon of pressure. The system increasingly seems to reward endurance as much as intelligence.

Many students are burnt out even before college begins.

Parents rarely speak openly about it because everyone is trying to “manage.” But behind closed doors, many families are emotionally and mentally drained.

The sad part is that no mark sheet reflects this effort.

No rank card captures the anxiety, the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, or the emotional resilience required from both students and parents.

Surely, there must be a better way.

Can entrance exams be better aligned?

Can schedules be streamlined?

Can we reduce repetitive testing?

Can mental health support become part of the educational system instead of an afterthought?

Most importantly, can we remember that these are children — not machines built only for rankings and cut-offs?

Competition is important. Hard work is important. Aspirations are important.

But childhood, emotional well-being, confidence, and family peace matter too.

To every student going through this difficult phase:

you are doing far more than simply writing exams.

And to every parent silently walking beside their child through this journey:

your strength, patience, and sacrifices deserve recognition too.

Because these last two and a half years are not just an academic journey.

For many families, they have been an emotional endurance test.