Behind the impressive marks was a student juggling mock tests, anxiety, self-doubt and the emotional uncertainty surrounding NEET 2026.
When the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 results were declared on May 13, lakhs of students across India experienced the familiar emotional whirlwind that accompanies board exam season.
Some refreshed result portals with trembling hands. Some celebrated. Others broke down quietly behind closed doors.
And then there were students like Aarav Goel.
The Shiv Nadar School student secured an impressive 97.20% in the Science stream. But behind the polished marksheet was a teenager navigating something far more exhausting than percentages — the relentless psychological pressure of simultaneously preparing for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
For Aarav, the board result did not feel like a clean moment of celebration.
“There was happiness, obviously,” he said, reflecting on the result day. “But the emotions were very high because around the same time, there was uncertainty around NEET as well. So it all felt overwhelming together.”
The Emotional Weight Behind High Scores
For nearly two years, Aarav had structured his life around one date — May 3 — the day he believed would define his medical entrance journey.
Like lakhs of NEET aspirants across India, he spent Class 11 and 12 balancing school academics with coaching schedules, mock tests, and revision cycles that stretched late into the night.
Then came the uncertainty surrounding the NEET examination itself.
What should have felt like relief after months of preparation instead became another phase of anxiety.
“You mentally prepare yourself since the start of Class 11 that May 3 is when the exam is going to happen,” he explained. “After that, you think you’ll finally be relatively free. So when things change suddenly, it affects your mental state.”
His honesty reflects a reality many high-performing students rarely discuss publicly: academic success often coexists with exhaustion, burnout, and constant self-doubt.
No “18-Hour Study Mythology”
Unlike the exaggerated productivity stories often associated with toppers, Aarav’s approach was surprisingly grounded.
From January onward, he studied between seven and eleven hours daily while managing both board preparation and NEET revision. Before that, he maintained a steady six to seven hours during most of Class 12.
Yet despite the disciplined schedule, self-doubt never disappeared.
“I expected to be in the top 10 or top 5 in school,” he admitted. “I didn’t really expect that I would get the highest marks.”
Even after scoring 99 in Chemistry and 98 in three subjects, he still questioned aspects of his performance.
Psychology, in particular, left him unsettled.
“I thought my exam had gone just as well as my other subjects,” he said, echoing concerns voiced by several students this year regarding subjective evaluation patterns.
“CBSE is a subjective exam and it isn’t always very transparent about the markings,” he added. “At the end of the day, you can control your actions and your performance, but you cannot control how an examiner grades you.”
Physics, Pressure And Panic
Like many engineering and medical aspirants, Aarav identified Physics as his biggest challenge.
And the anxiety intensified because it appeared first in the board examination schedule.
“I was definitely more stressed about Physics,” he recalled.
He spent nearly 12 focused days preparing exclusively for the subject before the exam. But preparation alone was not enough. According to Aarav, the paper turned out to be far more application-based than expected.
“The moment I opened the paper, I realised the difficulty had been stepped up,” he said. “So inside the exam hall itself, I adapted accordingly.”
His strategy relied less on memorisation and more on conceptual understanding:
- Previous-year papers
- Timed practice sessions
- Strong fundamentals
- Understanding derivations rather than rote learning
“In one or two derivations, I had forgotten parts during the exam,” he admitted. “So I had to derive them there itself. That’s why your fundamentals need to be very clear.”
“Burnout Is Very Real”
At one point during the conversation, Aarav quietly addressed a topic that many students experience but rarely articulate openly.
“Burnout is very real,” he said.
The statement cuts through the romanticised image of India’s competitive exam culture.
Behind the rank lists and celebratory headlines often lies a generation of students struggling with chronic stress, comparison, emotional fatigue, and fear of failure.
“There were many days when I felt low,” Aarav admitted. “Especially from January onwards because I was giving so many NEET mock tests and board mock tests.”
Mock scores became emotional pressure points.
“Sometimes it was like, even if I got 61 out of 70 in this test, I would try to avoid those mistakes next time,” he said.
Yet unlike toxic productivity narratives that glorify nonstop studying, Aarav repeatedly returned to one idea: balance.
“Sometimes taking a break is important,” he said. “You need to be in your best mental state if you want to do good things in life.”
The Importance Of Balance And Emotional Support
Even during intense preparation, Aarav continued playing guitar, staying connected with friends, and participating in activities beyond academics.
“Transitioning from Class 10 to 11 and 12 isn’t about giving up everything you love,” he said. “It’s about maintaining balance.”
He also strongly emphasised the emotional role played by teachers and parents.
“My teachers understood that my journey was a little different,” he said, referring to the challenge of balancing boards with NEET preparation.
At home, emotional safety mattered just as much as academic discipline.
“I think parents are very important in creating an environment where you feel good,” he reflected. “You cannot always do everything right.”
Three Words That Defined His Journey
When asked to summarise board preparation in three words, Aarav paused before answering:
“Discipline. Focus. Positive attitude.”
But perhaps his most important insight came afterward.
“You need to manifest success,” he said, “but also realise that you can only control your own actions.”
In India’s exam-driven culture, where marks are often treated as a measure of personal worth, that distinction matters deeply.
Because behind every percentage lies an invisible story of pressure, uncertainty, sleepless nights, unfinished mock tests, silent panic, and emotional exhaustion.
Aarav Goel’s 97.20% may have made headlines.
But his willingness to speak honestly about burnout, fear, and vulnerability may resonate far more with students trying to survive the same journey.
