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TW: Mentions of self-harm
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed that student suicides reached a five-year high, with 13,089 students dying by suicide in 2021, compared to 12,526 in 2020. Based on the data, a student committed suicide every forty-two minutes in 2020.
Needless to say, the National Eligibility cum Admission Test (NEET) has a lot of candidates each year and is quite competitive. It is one of the most significant admission tests for candidates seeking a medical career in India, for instance, for applicants seeking to enroll in undergraduate MBBS and BDS programs in government or private medical colleges across India. Because of its cutthroat nature and importance for students’ prospective medical careers, studying for the NEET test may be an uphill battle. The expectations from parents, time constraints, extensive curriculum, intense rivalry, and the dread of failure are only a few causes of the stress related to preparation.
According to statistics, counselors estimate that at least sixty to seventy percent of students are more susceptible to depression and anxiety due to repeat tests. The schooling pathway with board exams is as challenging as it is. The addition of an entrance exam needs a lot of effort. The concern of mental health among NEET applicants needs to be considered. The students are under intense tension to perform well on the test. The performance pressure may cause psychological discomfort and consequent self-harm.
I spoke to two friends to understand their NEET journey. I wished to learn more about their difficulties and triumphs in studying for and taking the test. Today I share their personal narratives with you.
“Successful people say we need to have a vision to achieve. For that, we need to dream, then plan out and execute. Make it happen. I had everything planned. I dreamt. I had an agenda. I tried to accomplish it. But the pandemic was unexpected. I have been preparing for NEET 2022 since 2020.
But I am currently studying for NEET 2024. I completed 12th grade from school. The first attempt was barely just an attempt. I lost all my confidence and began self-doubting. I was trapped with guilt for more than a year. I was anxious, mutedly depressed, and had numerous sleepless nights. These drove me to self-harm. I punished myself for not attaining my dreams and acing the journey. I decided to give a second attempt this year. That’s when I was down with health issues for five months, some days in the hospital, some at home, some at the hostel. Days of weeping, tears out of pain and weakness with no one to take care of me and clean my frequent vomiting.
The second attempt at NEET also ended up badly. During all these mental and physical struggles, there are naysayers, criticizing relatives, a judgemental society, and stereotypical ideologies haunting and torturing me to pull me back and get me grounded within their opinions and ideas. But even during these days and hard times of struggle, I didn’t quit. I studied even with more spirit but with no confidence. And I am still gathering myself back on track for the third exam attempt next year. Is this journey easy? Of course NOT. But I try my best to put the best of me for achieving my dream. If not NOW, THEN WHEN?”
“Try, try until you succeed.
It is a quote I have heard for as long as I can remember. But trying to succeed is not as easy as everyone thinks it is. Especially if it is a highly competitive exam in which you compete to achieve your dream against 22 lakh students. In such a stressful situation, one begins doubting themselves. The same happened to me. Each day a new question popped up in my mind. Will I be able to do it? Am I wasting my parents’ money? Am I on the right path? Am I wasting my time?
It does not matter how many people I have as a support system. At the end of the day, I am on my own. And only I understand my situation and problems the best. I learned to surround myself with people I trust in my best interest. A daily dose of positive input only does someone good. Also, I realized how to ask for help. As an overthinker myself, I know what it is like to imagine the worst out of any situation in my head. My advice is to know that you are not alone. You may not see the daily battle someone has to fight with themselves every day, but that doesn’t deny its existence. We humans though given the gift of speech, unlike other animals, are probably the ones with the most communication issues amongst ourselves. Such an irony. Communication is the key!”
In conclusion, a conversation with Aman and Lini provided a window into the challenging route endured by NEET applicants. It is easy to pass judgment but a struggle to live their lives. It is high time parents, stakeholders, including educational institutions and society, recognize the significance of mental health in the journey. The curriculum could benefit from including mental health education and coping skills to equip students with the tools they need to overcome adversities. But alone, it may not be enough to help the struggles the students experience daily.
Pressure. Socially estranged. Loss of childhood. No hobbies. Health decline. Existential crisis.
Are you preparing for NEET? Or did you write the exam? How was your experience? Do you think the system should change?
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This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
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