Day after results, admission stress grips students, parents

With the Bombay high court adjourning the hearing on the petition challenging the best-of-five policy for Std XI admission, counsellors and psychiatrists say students’ stress levels are even higher than before.

“Usually everything is very quick — the results are immediately followed by the admissions,” said psychiatrist Anjali Chhabria. “But, this year, there is a long gap and this is worrying the students.”

Despite scoring 100% in the SSC exams, Madhuri Achmani is unable to enjoy her achievement. “I can’t sleep at night because I am so worried,” said the Dombivli resident. “What if the high court rules against the best-of-five policy, will I get admission in any of my preferred colleges?”

According to counsellors, students will relax once the admission process starts. “A day after the results were announced, we started getting several complaints of headaches, insomnia, and restlessness from many students. They did not seem so distressed even before the results,” said counsellor Nandini Deshmukh.

The delayed admissions are also taking a toll on parents, say experts. “They have a need to feel like they are in control of the situation. Being involved in the admission process — even small things like standing in queues and filling the form — makes them feel like they have some sort of authority. But this delay has them stressed as well,” said Deshmukh.

“For almost three months, my son has been sitting and doing nothing. It is a waste of his time,” said Sangeeta Pednekar, a housewife from Girgaum. “Once the college starts, they will be in a rush to finish the portion and students will have no time to prepare for exams.”

“Students are not just competing against each other anymore. They are now competing against different boards as well. Unless, there is some kind of uniformity in the admission process or a system to equate the students, these anxieties will continue rising,” said Chhabria.