The dreaded exam season that began in the last week of February and extends right up till the first week of April for Class 9-12 students is on the wane and there are only a few papers left to tackle with large study gaps. Now’s the ideal opportunity for kids to finally start making a to-do list to un-fry their over-worked and stressed out teenage brains after all the cramming and late nights revising and re-revising the entire syllabus in the company of chocolate shakes and mid-night Maggie, besides the mandatory bhege hue badams.
Class 9 student Sachin just wrapped up his finals, and the first thing he did was race to the DLF Golf Course first thing in the morning to follow his idol Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston through 18 holes at the Hero Cup on 10th March. An avid junior golfer himself, he has tied up with his friends to play at all his favorite golf courses in the NCR vicinity over the coming week. “Usually it is next to impossible to play during week days due to school or peak summer season, so we’re trying to make the most of our spring break before studies pile up on us in Class 10,” he smiles, swinging his iron at the driving range. “Nothing compares to the soothing greens in the scenic courses at this time of the year,” he adds.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav from Vasant Kunj has taken to malling and partying with a vengeance, trying out every bowling alley, gaming booth, go karting zone and pizza outlet there is to offer. Looking quite slick in his linen-denim combo, he is eager to celebrate his friend’s birthday with a huge choco-lava cake and “eating” is top of the charts for him right now. “After all stressed spelled backwards is desserts!” he winks. A self-confessed lazy bum, he says “it’s too hot outside to do anything else. And I just don’t want to wake up early!”
His words find an echo in DPS R K Puram student Mona’s pet gripe. “I am just waiting for the Boards to get over so that I can just SLEEP!” A student of Class 12, Mona will have to wait a while even after her exams in April, as the college admissions will start soon after. “I want to take up dress design and fine arts in a big way and I just hope to get into the college of my choice,” she crosses her ringed fingers. “After all that is done, I am planning my first ever an all-girl’s back packing trip to Goa!” she reveals even as her mom, sauntering in with a plateful of chicken momos, shakes her head in a “no way that’s happening” fashion.
Kiran’s mom, who is a Zen practitioner, has already chalked out a decompressing holiday itinerary with her 16-year-old daughter. “Starting with a small vacation in native Kerala for some R&R, we’ll move on to Bangkok to celebrate Songkran with old friends out there,” chirrups Kiran, who is equally excited about her shopping binge at Chatuchak flea market. “Getting outdoors is the best stress buster for me,” she adds, “especially the beaches and forest reserves where I love spending time in the company of Ann Patchett and my latest buys: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and How To Be a Bawse by Lilly Singh. The disconnect with social media and city life is very relaxing.”
The great outdoors, partying, books, food, travel, shopping and napping — that seems to be the sum total of what kids want once the exams are done and dusted. Happiness truly is “having finished all your exams,” and the teenagers can’t wait for the exams to get over and the fun to begin.