10 things to do if you have scored low in Class 10 or 12

The board exams have been over for a while and the summer pleasures have been had. And now comes the D-Day, which students and parents await with anxiety and excitement: the result day. Some score high, some average and some low. With low and average scores, usually comes a set of challenges related to admissions to schools and colleges, choice of subjects and courses, handling the neighbours' queries about marks and so on. Are low or average scores the end of everything? Not at all! Can there be life after low or average scores? You bet! Here are ten cool tips for surviving low marks.

1. Breathe: When you get marks that you didn't expect, it sometimes feels like a punch in the gut. Just breathe. Breathing will increase your blood flow and help you regain focus.

2. Focus: The marks are performance indicators of a set of tests for the tenth or twelfth grades. Are these the last options for getting the rest of your life right? No. These marks are important, but they don't determine everything. Focus on what actually is needed to succeed in life.

3. Recover: The ability to handle disappointments is a key skill adults need. Let this be an opportunity to develop that skill.

4. Talk: Talk to a friend always. Keep your parents informed about the kind of help you need. Talk to a counsellor if you feel you can't talk to anybody.

5. Research: For admission to the next grade, consider opportunities realistically. Go for career counselling. Along with knowledge and skills, understand your attitude for a choice of profession, if you appeared for the Class 12 board exams. Go for skill-based courses for employability (for example, hospitality, banking, or short-term financial courses).

6. Plan: Identify the concepts you may have fared badly. Work on remediation. Set small targets for yourself each day and stick to them. Use the data from research to plan your next steps.

7. Persevere: Don't leave anything for the next day. Achieving small targets gives a sense of achievement, which boosts your confidence. Follow through your goals.

8. Eat and drink: Some respond to disappointment by binge eating, which compounds the problem. Eat light, have enough fibres in the diet and drink plenty of fluids. Our body can do with more fluids in summers. Also, a well-hydrated body responds better to stress.

9. Exercise: Teenagers, as they say, go through a hormone hurricane. The effects of low score can be greatly exaggerated through mood swings. Light exercise, yoga and pranayama will help set a routine and release endorphins, the 'happy chemicals', to lift your mood. Eating right and exercising will also lead to adequate sleep, without which the body finds it difficult to cope with stressors. It also keeps you away from addictive habits.

10. Enjoy: Finally, you should have fun. Read new books, watch good movies, go to a summer camp, play sports, pick up new music and don't let the poor marks keep you down.