Do 10th marks or grades matter for a good career?

A couple of days back I happened to meet a few of my school friends for an informal get-together. Long winding chats led from one discussion to the other and we wondered where really have some of the so-called geniuses of our school landed up. Having grown up a typical Indian student obsessed with grades and marks since early childhood, I was intrigued with the subject and couldn't help but think, did those 10th standard grades really matter for us in the long run?! Do they make for a good career in future, as we are so often told during our school days by teachers and parents alike.

A good education with decent grades lays the foundation of a great future for sure, but how much of it really determines the success of our future career graph? Today the ubiquitous competitive exams to get into your chosen field make or break your dreams, in this scenario do those school grades really matter? Or maybe they do after all, since it was through those basic lessons at school that we made sense of the larger world. Believe it or not those exams and learnings literally molded our young impressionable thinking. So maybe they do not directly determine the outcome of success at our workplace but they sure did help us sharpen our blades for the long battle ahead.

Our little successes in the form of great grades, inspired us to be the best, instilling the spirit of healthy competition. When they were below average, we took heart in the spirit of sportmanship resolving to work more harder next time. Such subtle elements I believe do serve as an ingredient for a 'good career' right.

These are just my few cents I thought I would like to share with you folks! I would be delighted to know your take on the subject, which I am sure is close to all of our hearts.

Replies

  • manishks
    manishks
    My best friend scored 95% in 10th boards. He scored 67% in 12th boards. He couldn't get into any of the IITs or NITs. He joined some college in Delhi with not so high reputation. He got back in 4 subjects in first semester itself. But at the end of the engineering, his aggregate was more than 70%.
    He is from 2015 batch.

    What is he doing now?

    He is Lieutenant Sam**** today, part of Bihar regiment and posted in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. 10 jawans report to him. He was there when Doklam standoff happened.
    Also, he has been selected for commando training.

    Neither his 10th 12th or college marks mattered. You write your own destiny.

    Great scores just help you accelerate your journey towards your goals. But it doesn't mean that you cannot achieve your goals. 😁
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    Marks do matter; and it all depends upon what your career goals are. Because I got good marks in class X exams, I was able to go to a good college and that contributed a good deal to my XII marks.

    Because I did reasonably well in XII, I was able to get into a good college. Had I scored more, I'd have secured admission in the top college in the state; and my future would have been different.

    Then, the graduation marks decided which company I start my career with.

    The conclusion is that - marks DO play an important role in deciding one's career; if one is following a traditional path.

    But when you're an industry insider, it's a different game altogether. I'd say, good marks open the gates to your dream destination faster.
  • manishks
    manishks
    Kaustubh Katdare
    Marks to matter; and it all depends upon what your career goals are. Because I got good marks in class X exams, I was able to go to a good college and that contributed a good deal to my XII marks.

    Because I did reasonably well in XII, I was able to get into a good college. Had I scored more, I'd have secured admission in the top college in the state; and my future would have been different.

    Then, the graduation marks decided which company I start my career with.

    The conclusion is that - marks DO play an important role in deciding one's career; if one is following a traditional path.

    But when you're an industry insider, it's a different game altogether. I'd say, good marks open the gates to your dream destination faster.
    Exactly. Getting good marks is one of the first steps. But not necessarily the only step. It's never too late. But, yes if you score well when it requires the most, you save yourself the struggle, you might have to go through to achieve the very same target.
  • Debasmita Banerjee
    Debasmita Banerjee
    I won't say it does not matter how much you scored in your boards, but yes, ultimately it will not have a deregatory impact in your life if you work hard. We always believe that hard work pays off, and it certainly does. I once knew a guy who passed with only a 60% in class 10th board exam. He was a distant relative of mine. He was not a bad student but the time was not so good for him. He was always inclined towards space scinece and even though, the whole family went against him seeing his poor performance in Maths and Physical Science, he chose to follow his passion towards science.

    He again came up with a 78% in his class 12th but never let go of his passion. Studying hard in his undergrad days from a private university he flew to the United States for his masters. Did his best in it and got a call from Jet Propulsion Laboratory (an integral part of NASA's assets). After working there for 7 years or so, he came back to India and started working for Indian Space Research Organization. His journey was tough and he had to work much harder but ultimately he got what he wanted.
  • Amol Agarwal
    Amol Agarwal
    I scored 90.3% in 10th(ICSE) but I feel that it does not matter much. Sure it shows dedication but it also creates your image as a very bright student who can do anything...I have seen many people hardly scoring 60-70% in boards but they have done excellent in their careers. So the fact is that we cannot judge anyone on the basis of their marks in any exams and especially 10th as that age is very tender and people usually get spoilt after 10th. Often we hear news about corrupt IAS officers. Becoming an IAS is far more tougher than scoring in 10th. And just think about all government servants... they all got good marks, yet most of them do not discharge their duties faithfully. All that matters is that you must have dedication and a good character because that can take you a far way.
    Good marks are surely a positive indicator but it can be deceptive. Finally, according to me, class 10th marks don't matter that much as we are told so live freely and study the subjects you love in full depth. maybe you'll not get a great overall but you will find yourself in a much better position in the future. It's ok not to know everything afterall.

    This is my personal opinion.
  • Dipankar Ganguly
    Dipankar Ganguly
    Good marks/grades are important in the sense that they make life a bit easier. Though they cannot be treated as the sole parameter for judging one's capability but good marks creates a platform using which one can move forward. Good grades in class 10 will ensure a seat in a good school and you can choose the branch (science, humanities, commerce) for further studies. Good grades make you confident and hence more prepared to face the tougher world out of the secondary school. Also, one can get financial support in the form of scholarships from various sources with their good grades.
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    All I meant was, the marks do matter in the path that you take. Ultimate 'success', whatever your definition might be, depends on tens of other factors.

    Sachin Tendulkar might have not done well in maths and science, but if there was an exam on cricket; I'm sure he'd have done pretty well. The problem with securing marks in the traditional education system is that we seldom fall in love with the subjects. What's so interesting is made super-dull.

    I remember taking history classes and they were super boring. But when my grandpa narrated history to me - I absolutely loved it.

    Science is fun and interesting; but all it gets reduced to is some mathematical calculations and formulas to remember. It's a failure of the 'way' of teaching that marks get so much importance.
  • Eng.asish kumar
    Eng.asish kumar
    Marks do matter because you did not get best college even now cbse also decided those students who scored less than 75% did not get any IIT or NIT.

    marks is all about the path it doesn't mean that marks is your future grades decide your path hardwork decide your future
  • Satya Swaroop Dash
    Satya Swaroop Dash
    It has evolved something to something of a meme that you only need your 10th certificate as a proof of your date of birth. According to me, 10th marks act as a platform for your future. Yes ahead in life you will face increasingly difficult exams and once you have made your foundation correct you can ace your preparation for the future. When you are preparing for the 10th examination, it is one of a kind where your marks are decided by teachers you do not know just like every other exam you are going to face in the future.

    People started to think once CBSE the biggest education body shifted from marks to grade system that it would undermine the performance level but that has not happened. Every A grader knows that he/she has the potential to achieve great things in life.

    A little disclaimer though when it comes to tenth marks never get too obsessed with it as well. If you do not get the elusive all As do not worry too much over it. Even if you are a B or C you can ramp up your efforts and get a better score in your +2 level.

You are reading an archived discussion.

Related Posts

We have all used torrents. Be honest, you have, and 99.9% of the time it is used to nab music, TV shows and movies without having to pay for them....
The Supreme Court of India on friday sent a major shocker to all those who obtained their engineering degrees via correspondence course. The bench of Justices A.K. Goel and U.U....
While surfing the internet, I often hit a particular picture for making a technology-based event brochure and that is a brain coalesced with digital circuits, going through it as if...
2nd November was "Dia day Los Muertos" - the day of the dead in English and I thought of recollecting my memories and experiences of last four years, the days...
A while back we talked about WhatsApp’s intention of introducing UPI powered payments on its platform. This could be a game changing feature that can eliminate the necessity of mobile...