For Bangladeshi students, the term ‘SSC’ instantly triggers a lot of memories. These might be full of youthful exuberance for some, and for others, these memories might be something they would want to get rid of. However, it goes without saying that the time of the SSC and the proceedings it entails are some of the most memorable in the lives of Bangladeshi students. Now that SSC results are out for 2022, it is time to figure out what you want to do beyond this point and set a goal.
The timeline after SSC might be quite scary as well as overwhelming, as getting into college from school is a big jump considering the syllabus as well as the pressure that comes with it. Hence, many students have tried to make every moment count ever since the publication of the results, as the syllabus of the HSC is realistically too vast to be finished within two years.
Muhammad Shehab Shahriar, an ex-student of Saint Gregory's High School and College who received an A+ in all subjects in this year's SSC exams, has some elaborate plans. While talking to the writer, he said, "Although my SSC result has been up to the mark, I am not sure if it is enough to get me into Notre Dame College, which exactly is the place I want to get into, hence I am preparing for the admission exams, which at times is quite stressful, and as the World Cup is going on, it often is downright painful for me, as I am a huge football fan and Argentina are already on the road to the final."
Although Shehab is paying a bit of heed to fitness as well, he has been working out ever since the end of his SSC examination, which according to him is a way of making a strong statement when it comes to getting admitted into a college, as he wants to be a better version of himself in every possible way.
However, not everyone was satisfied with their result and looked forward to making things better in the days to come. Md Farhan Ishraque Haque, an ex-student of Mohammadpur Government High School who passed this year's SSC exams with a result of 4.83, has some elaborate plans. While talking to the writer, he said, "I tried my best in my SSC exams, but unfortunately I missed my GPA of 5.00 and got a 79 in my Biology exam. That's why I was quite a bit upset, but I got enough support from my family and surroundings." I'm now sufficiently motivated and looking forward to getting a really good result in my HSC exams," he added.
Farhan is quite optimistic about his future and considers his SSC result to be a minor inconvenience in his way. He has advised other examinees to keep their heads up, as this is not the end of the world and nothing would matter after a few years.
Many students have also started learning a new skill during the time of their vacation and have continued it even after the publication of their results. Rayhan Zaman, a student at Ali Ahmed School, has secured a ‘Golden GPA-5’ as it is colloquially known, and ever since has learned to cook. In his own words, he has loved the craft so much that he might consider being a chef as a career option in the future.
The time after the publication of SSC results might be extremely confusing as well as filled with anxiety. However, not having an up to the mark result in SSC doesn't necessarily correlate to failure in the future. Moreover, not getting into the college one has wanted for a while, is not even close to the end. What matters is what you do by yourself and what steps you are willing to take to achieve your goal. Hence, self-discovery is more important in this period than anything else.
The writer is a third-year student majoring in Economics at The University of Dhaka. sa7926279@gmail.com