Campus Talk | Exam helpline calls turn into group counselling sessions as HSC stress rises
With board exams only days away, state board counsellors report students increasingly placing calls on speaker so that classmates and family members can listen and share their worries together.
Counsellors said the concerns raised by students range from anxiety over last minute preparation to stress experienced during prelims, oral examinations and practical assessments. (File Photo)
As exam anxiety peaks ahead of the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination scheduled to begin next week, state board-appointed counsellors are receiving 10 to 15 calls a day from students struggling with pressure and fear of failure.
This year, however, counsellors say a new pattern has emerged. Individual calls are increasingly turning into group conversations, with students putting phones on speaker so that classmates, friends and sometimes even family members can listen in, effectively converting helplines into informal group counselling sessions.
One counsellor said she was taken by surprise when a student asked permission to put his phone on speaker so that his entire class could listen to advice on handling stress. The call came from an Ashram Shala, a residential school from the interiors of Maharashtra that caters to children from tribal and other backward communities.
“The student called to speak about rising stress levels ahead of exams, particularly anxiety around last-minute preparations. The caller asked if it would be alright for the whole class to listen as many of them had similar concerns. Once the phone was put on speaker, some other students started asking questions ranging from fear of making mistakes while writing papers to worries about blanking out during exams and fear of failure,” the counsellor said.
She added that the group interaction appeared to help the students. “As one student spoke up, some others realised that they were experiencing the same feelings. It created a space where students felt more confident in sharing their concerns, showing how group conversation can be reassuring when members realise that they are not alone in experiencing a certain feeling,” she said.
Another counsellor said she received a call about the pressure linked to board results and their impact on higher education choices. “In one such call, the caller expressed a lack of confidence in scoring well enough to pursue the higher education course of choice. While speaking, I realised the phone was on speaker and a group of four to six were discussing among themselves before asking a question,” the counsellor said, adding that after gaining confidence through the group interaction, a couple of students went on to speak individually.
Counsellors said the concerns raised by students range from anxiety over last minute preparation to stress experienced during prelims, oral examinations and practical assessments, which are conducted before the written papers. Several callers also spoke about parental anxiety adding to their stress. Counsellors said they have also received calls from parents seeking advice on how to cope with their own worries.
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One counsellor recalled a call from a girl who complained about pressure from her parents. “After she was done speaking, her parents too joined the interaction. The discussion then turned into a family conversation, helping them realise how they were unknowingly adding to each other’s stress during an already anxious exam period,” she said.
Pallavi Smart is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, Mumbai Bureau. Her reporting is singularly focused on the education sector, demonstrating exceptional Expertise and Authority across the entire spectrum of learning, from foundational schooling to advanced higher education. She is a highly Trustworthy source for policy, institutional developments, and systemic issues affecting students, teachers, and parents in Maharashtra.
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