This is my story, the founder of Students of India. In 10th grade, I scored 84%. A respectable score — enough to get me into the science stream, because that’s just what was expected. There was no real conversation about what I liked or how I learned. It was simple: good marks? Science. That’s the “smart” path.
But once I stepped into 11th, I began to drown. I couldn’t memorize the heavy textbooks. The formulas, definitions, and endless diagrams refused to stay in my head. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to study — I just couldn’t learn like that. Eventually, I failed.
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When I decided to switch to Arts, it wasn’t a carefully planned move. But it was a lifeline because among the limited choices left, Arts felt like the only stream that would give me a little space to breathe — and after everything I’d been through, I needed that.
But not everyone saw it that way.
My father was disappointed. My relatives — uncles, aunts, cousins — didn’t hold back their opinions. They mocked me, laughed at me, made comments like, “Who even takes Arts?” or “He couldn’t handle science, that’s why.” I was painted as incapable, lazy, a failure. And that hurt more than failing any exam ever could.
What they didn’t see was that, in that quiet space I’d created something for myself, something new was growing. I started watching YouTube tutorials on computers and programming — purely out of curiosity. Slowly, curiosity turned into interest, and interest turned into obsession. I started learning how to code, how systems worked, how to protect them. It wasn’t part of my curriculum. It wasn’t part of anyone’s plan. It just made sense to me.
Years later, that quiet spark became my career. Today, I work in cybersecurity — a field I was never formally trained in, but self-taught from the ground up. I found success not because the system guided me, but because I permitted myself to follow something that lit me up inside.
And now, even with a “successful” job, I find myself wanting more — not more money or status, but more alignment. More meaning. More purpose. That’s what brought me here — to The Unpressured Project.
Because I know what it feels like to carry the shame of switching streams.
I know what it feels like when your worth is measured by your percentage.
I know what it feels like to be talked down to by your own family — to be made to feel small when you’re just trying to survive.
And I also know this: None of that defines you.
If you’re reading this and you’re struggling to choose, to explain yourself, or to believe in your own path — I want you to know that you are not a disappointment. You are not too late. And you don’t need to have all the answers right now.
Tell us your story
If the story feels familiar—if you’ve ever felt the weight of expectations, chosen a different path, and defined success for yourself—share your story. Students of India is collecting and amplifying the voices of those who’ve faced intense pressure, shifted paths, and found their own meaning of success.
💛 If this piece made you pause, reflect, or feel a little less alone — you can support the project here:
Thank you for helping build a space where students feel seen — beyond marks, pressure, or the expectations of others.
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