In case you ever get a chance to explore the "everyday diary" of a PCM student, I'm sure you won't get anyone saying that it's easy or what I'm doing is the best, in their beginning pages. Because everyone has gone through the same, It's aways like sailing in the same boat with different destined islands to explore!
What all I see are people who discuss about the vast syllabus and the competitive exams that haunts almost everyone. There are still some problems we don't speak for, like lack of consistency and time management. Talking about how I went through it, I've always tried fitting into other people's ways to get my work done whether it was the way they manage their coachings and homework or it's prioritising the subjects. My 11th class as a whole was only based on experimenting the ways to increase the outcome.
Which I felt was not good for me because everyone understands differently like, things they take easy, might be difficult for me and vice-versa. My take away from this discussion would advise you to explore your way, try to manage subjects and NEVER STRESS OUT FOR NOT COPING UP WITH EVERYTHING because that will not only reduce your confidence but also the efficiency to perform well.
Good luck!
So I would like to share my own story which will cover the types of students who take PCM and their mindset(As there is a category that goes to coachings and focuses on entrances from the start but there are other categories too!)
I was going to a coaching for iitjee from class 10th. In 11th I sat in the library for the whole day and sometimes even during recess,but in the mid of class 11th I realised that I wasn’t made for this as I didn’t want to do it from my heart.Then I started to look for other options but in the remaining time of class 11th I became a student who bunks all classes and just plays in the playground.But when I came in 12th I just started to focus on boards rather than focusing on entrance exams and I did score well too.
So in my opinion,there are 3 types of students-
1.The studious kind who is preparing for entrances. 2.The one who doesn’t even study.
3.The person studying only for boards.
So for the 1st category the pressure and mindset is same as everybody is talking about.
But it is rather very different for the other 2 categories.
From my perspective,the second category of students has the pressure of boards in 12th but in class 11th they face very less pressure as the Common mindet is that “The 11th marks aren’t going to add in boards”.So the 11th is extremely pressure free for these types of students.
For the 3rd kind,there is medium pressure in the starting as they focus on consistency and studying from the start.
So,PCM isn’t just about pressure,packed up schedule etc for everyone. It is for many people,but not everyone!
But yes all of the categories will end up saying that PCM is tough but what isn’t tough!
Ask commerce students and they will say commerce is tough.Ask some of the Arts students they will say Arts is tough.So it was my choice to choose PCM and I knew it would be difficult and despite the ups and downs I was there and I didn’t regret it because it was in the end MY CHOICE.
So to all those presently facing problems,it was your choice and just hang in there everything will turn out to be good.
Well said.
In my years of experience of career counseling, I have also come across a lot of PCM students who felt drained, exhausted and were bogged down by trying to balance both academics and entrance exam preparation. Most of them have completely packed up routine, waking up at 5 am, going for coaching, attending school, coming back to coaching again. In the midst of all this, they tend to lose a part of themselves and become a part of the herd. And while all of this is already haunting them, there is a constant pressure to be the best, to crack IITs. To them, it becomes a do or die situation.
BUT HEY THERE. BREATHE!! CALM DOWN!!
We genuinely understand, where you all are coming from. If we put ourselves in your shoes, we do understand that this race is not easy. However, before we jump to any solution, we would love to hear it from you. A lot of you are sailing or have sailed in the same boat and it's high time that you talk about it. This portal is all yours:
Feel free to rant out here.
Share your experience.
Tell us how are you coping.
Tell us how have you been managing and mind you, you are not the only one.
I totally agree with you Anshika and what you said doesn't limit to PCM students. I think most of us can totally relate to you when you said our 11th standard was majorly about experimenting and trying to figure out a way that best serve our purpose.
Exactly 👍