My 10th class and exams

It is the time to recollect, time to look back to your school days. Tell me what was the most tensed moment? I am sure you will remember your 10th class and exams. Before I get old and forget my 10th class, let me write some memories of my 10th class and how it went for me.

Ok, all started with my 9th class result. Result was hard to realize. Number was 515 out of 625 which translated to 82.4%. It was not too unexpected result but some where it went wrong. I had written my 9th final exams with viral fever. I was not even within top 5. I was some where at 8th position in the class. It was hard to digest. But the best thing was neither my parents nor my family people really took it serious and put pressure on me.

I think this was the beginning for my new thoughts and new attitude. If I go back to those days, I think this was a trigger to think about me and my abilities. This episode definitely helped me to change from very careless guy to careful, very naughty to little serious, very haphazard way of doing things to systematic way.

After the results, some of our class teachers from different schools got together and rolled out the tuition class in the summer holidays for the 10th class students. In our place, there were 3 schools which operated under Canara education society. My school Mahatma Gandhi High school (MGHS), Gibb Boys high school (GBHS) and Gibb Girls high school (GGHS) were under the Canara Education society. The best teachers from these three schools got together and had a plan to give the coaching in Science, Mathematics and English grammar. It was with the vision that more number of 10th class state level ranks to the Canara education society. During those days, state level Kannada medium ranks werereally hyped. From the previous two batches there were couples of ranks to GGHS and GBHS. This was treated as a prestige to all the schools. Unfortunately our school MGHS was not able to bag any ranks in its history. I decided to join this class. Class was about for 3 hours every day and started at 9am. There were two teachers from my school. Classes were interesting. I got more insight in to English grammar. There was a teacher for Mathematics who was also my house owner. He taught us Matrix fundamentals. The way he used to tell Column (Khamba in Kannada) and Rows (Saalu) are still in me memory. He used to repeat “Khamba Saalu” with actions at least 10 times. It is almost 12 years now (remember I am 1997 10th pass out and tuition was in April 1996) and I still remember those actions and classes. This gave me the opportunity to meet other students from GGHS and GBHS. Look at the world, I met the same people again after an year when I went for the college. Summer classes ended very nicely

Then started the June and the heavy rainy season. Fresh class, change in the teachers for some subjects, change in class room and change in the status as super seniors in school. All together it was again a fresh start. We had two classes A and B and I had belong to B. One of my friend who did not get first number is 9th class had left the school because of some internal issue. Two of new friends Ashok and Manjunath had joined the class from different school. Head mater of our school Gowdi sir was English teacher, C G Bhandari was Kannada teacher, Shastri sir was taking Science first time for 10th class and was head class teacher, Rukma madam was Hindi teacher, Prabhu sir was social science and the most intelligent SM Bhat sir was taking Maths. Perfect teachers were in perfect job. Our head master had only one vision. Few state level ranks to the school. Our Physical Education teacher was a great Ball badminton player. Every year he was building the team. Our previous batch had the solid team and were taluka level champions but some how they could not win the district level. I had joined MGHS school in 9th from Jawahar Navoday School. From then I got fascinated with Ball badminton game. I had started learning and practicing the game.

After the classes started, my parents asked whether I want to go for any tuition. I also thought I should go for it. My school Maths teacher SM Bhat was taking home tuition. He had a pair up with English teacher MT Bhat from the same place. Tuition was from 7.30 to 8.45am from Monday to Friday, 3pm to 5pm on Saturday and 9am to 11am on Sundays. Schools were from 9.15 to 1.10pm and then 2.30 pm to 4.45pm on Monday to Friday and 8am to 12.30pm on Saturdays. So school days were very hectic. 7.30am to 8.45am tuition, 9.15am to 4.45pm school and after that Ball badminton game till 6.30am or day light which ever was longer.
Let me try to remember my class people here: Nagaraj Udadangi, Manjunath, Diwakar, Santhosh, Dattatreya, Mahesh, Jairam, Sharth, Ashok, Manjunath Shet, Prashant, Shetti, Anil, Raghavendra, Shalini, Suvarna Pikle, Rekha Madiwal, Savita, Vishalakshi, Rekha Naik, Sunita, Prema Komarapant, Jayalaxmi, Leena, Surekha, Sunita Harikantra and so on.

More than my studies, I started liking the ball badminton. This was the game which I had learnt during my 9th class. I had mastered this game in short time span. So I was promoted as middle player. We had few players who were playing from lat two years. One of my friends Girish with highest experience promoted as captain. We had the best players with right combination and attitude in the team. Jairam and Narayan handling at the back side, me in the middle and Girish, Raju in the front. Our coach and physical teacher was a very good player. First three months of schools days were full of rain but those were the days where you need to really practice well. Taluk level and district level matches were in September. Out teacher really worked hard to practice with the best players in our place. He called many of our seniors and his friends to play with us. We had the best opposition team to play with my school team. We enjoyed every win/loose and learnt many shots and services. Sport funding was always an issue. School was NOT ready to give us the new rackets and balls. All school team players bought their own rackets to play. We collected money from team to play with the new ball every week. Every day we practiced hard. Our teacher was so encouraging that he used to treat us with his money for the best play. Team at one point of time was unbeatable. Sportsmanship was building every day. Confidence was boosting. Frankly I was at my best. Calm composed and best shots at right time made me the best player of the team. I enjoyed key middle position and dominated.

With all these, 9th class disaster result was always in mind. I wanted to over come and prove my best in studies. Along with sports, I concentrated on my studies too. I became more studious and systematic. I think these were the days I was slowly going away from my child hood characteristics. I started valuing the each minute of mine. Started stretching my sleeping time to 11pm. I managed to arrange my own table and chair for studies in the corner of my house. Same year my elder sister was moving out of house to study her Diploma course. Brother was in crucial 2nd year PUC. Sister was starting her high school. Every one in the house had one or the other to prove them self in academics. Totally it was study environment at house. More than us our parents were struggling to keep every thing in place and give us more time for study. Scene was typical middle class family struggling to come up with flying colors. Mom used to cook in the morning for my brother. I used to have break fast after morning tuition. I started talking bicycle to tuition.

During school starting days, one of my close friend Ganesh father passed way due to jondies. It was a shocking incident for his family. He was my close friend from 6th class. It was not the age to loose the father. His father was the one who used to take all of us to swimming in 5th and 6th class. He was so encouraging and wanted his sons and me to learn bicycle, different swimming styles, drawing etc. I personally share very beautiful moments with his father during my child hood days. He wanted us to have healthy fight in academics.

Then came the first unit test in the month of August. As usual syllabuses were less. Competition was definitely building within the class. We had two sections A and B. In our section, one of my friends Jairam who was intelligent but never bothered to study much had started studying in 10th class. Hard core maggu Jayalaxmi was putting her effort to be the best in class. In the other section Ganesh was as usual the front runner. 9th class topper Triveeni wanted to keep her position intact in 10th class. Nagaratna, child hood friend of mine was in the list of contenders. So there was tough but healthy competition between us. I had friendship with every one in the class. Things went smooth in fist test. I was in second position but the total marks were much higher than usual. It was around 136 out of 150. As expected, Jairam stood first in the class.