Beyond the Marks: 7 Insightful Things to Do After Class 10 Results

Whether you’re riding the high of stellar scores or feeling low about unexpected outcomes, your Class 10 results don’t define your future — but your next steps just might.

 

What Can You Do After Your Class 10 Results?

Here are some ways to get started on your post-1oth life-

1. Pause and Process Your Emotions

After any high-stakes result, your brain releases cortisol (stress) or dopamine (pleasure), which can cloud clear thinking (McEwen, 2007). Before making decisions, allow your emotions to settle.

What you can do:

• Journal your thoughts for 10 minutes a day.
• Talk to someone — a friend, a school counselor, or even a helpline.
• Practice deep breathing or mindfulness apps like Headspace or Insight Timer.

“Feelings are visitors — acknowledge them, but don’t build them a house.”

2. Unpack the Meaning of Success and Failure

People with a growth mindset view mistakes as opportunities to learn (Dweck, 2006). This mindset correlates with greater resilience and long-term achievement.

What you can do:

• Reflect: What did you learn about your habits or interests this year?
• Watch: Carol Dweck’s TED Talk, The Power of Believing You Can Improve.
• Shift focus: From “What are my marks?” to “What can I do next?”

 

Read More- Growth Mindset

3. Take a Career Interest Assessment

Using tools like the Holland Code (RIASEC) or MBTI can help match your personality and interests with career clusters (Nauta, 2010).

What you can do:

• Try free tools like Truity or MINDLER.
• Note your top interests and align them with available streams (e.g., a social personality might thrive in humanities, law, or social work).

4. Explore All Streams & Not Just the Popular Ones

Decision paralysis can happen when choices are too limited or too broad (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). Knowing all your options reduces regret and anxiety.

What you can do:

• Science: not just doctors and engineers — think data science, biotech, environmental design.
• Commerce: marketing, entrepreneurship, economics, e-commerce.
• Arts: psychology, law, journalism, design, history.

Look into alternative routes:

• Polytechnic diplomas
• ITI (Industrial Training Institute) courses
• NIOS (open schooling) with flexible pacing
• Vocational courses (hospitality, design, coding, etc.)
• Online certifications on platforms like Coursera or Skillshare

Read More- Career Paths After 10th Grade

5. Talk to Professionals &  Not Just Relatives

We’re more influenced by close networks, but they may not always offer accurate information (Krackhardt, 1992).

What you can do:

• Book a session with a certified career counselor.
• Conduct 15-minute informational interviews with people in fields you’re curious about.
• Attend virtual career fairs or free webinars.

6. Make a Skill-Building Plan (Regardless of Marks)

Self-efficacy, or belief in your ability to act, builds confidence and resilience (Bandura, 1997). Skill-building boosts self-efficacy.

What you can do:

Choose 1–2 practical skills to learn this summer:

• • Graphic design
  • Public speaking
  • Digital marketing
  • Excel, Python, or Canva

Use free resources like:

• Khan Academy
• Coursera
• Internshala Trainings

7. Set a Short-Term Plan & Not a Life Plan

Big decisions are best made incrementally. Committing to short-term, flexible goals reduces anxiety (Gollwitzer & Sheeran, 2006).

What you can do:

Use the SMART goal format (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound):

• • “I will research 3 career options this week and write a pros/cons list.”
  • “I will finish a digital course in basic coding by July.”

 

8. Prepare for Setbacks and Detours

Regret is a normal response, but it’s healthier when paired with future-focused actions (Roese, 2005).

What you can do:

• • Create a Plan B and even a Plan C.
  • Know that stream changes are possible later (with bridge courses or open school support).
  • Surround yourself with a support circle — people who remind you you’re not your marks.

You’re More Than a Number

Marks are feedback — not a final verdict. What matters more is how you respond to them. Take small steps, explore your curiosity, and make choices rooted in self-awareness, not fear or comparison.

References

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.

Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta‐analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119.

Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 995–1006.

Krackhardt, D. (1992). The strength of strong ties: The importance of philosopher networks in organizations. In Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form, and Action (pp. 216–239). Harvard Business School Press.

Lee, W., & Lee, M. (2020). The role of self-compassion in the academic stress model. Psychology in the Schools, 57(9), 1459–1470.

McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.

Nauta, M. M. (2010). The development, evolution, and status of Holland’s theory of vocational personalities: Reflections and future directions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77(2), 116–123.

Roese, N. J. (2005). If only: How to turn regret into opportunity. Broadway Books.