“I Got a D and I Broke Down”: Shrushti’s Journey Through Academic Pressure

Shrushti Gupta, a 17-year-old student, sits cross-legged with her economics notes open, but her mind is elsewhere. “Sometimes I feel like I’m doing everything I can — classwork, self-study, staying consistent — and I still get low marks,” she says, tired.

A student of Economics, Accounts, Maths, and English under the Cambridge curriculum,

Shrushti knows what pressure feels like. “Economics is very rigorous,” she explains. “The

content is heavy, and many topics are interconnected. The questions can be confusing even

when you know the answers.”

She recalls how her economics teacher once told her, “You can get an A.” That one sentence

stuck in her head — An expectation. “It made me feel like I had to reach that grade,” she says.

Shrushti isn’t alone. A 2024 survey by Aditya Birla Education Trust, conducted across 30

colleges in India, found that 58.4% out of 2,800 student respondents cited academic pressure as a leading source of distress. That pressure doesn’t wait for college — it starts

much earlier.

“Still, I Got a D”

One of the hardest moments for Shrushti was when she received a D in English. “It felt like I had let everyone down,” she says softly.

“I missed out on programs like Griptake and a math workshop I really wanted to attend, just to focus more on studies — and even then, I didn’t do well. It was disappointing and honestly, shameful.”

She said she compares herself with her classmates but in a positive way. “It’s not jealousy. It’s

just looking at how others are improving and feeling like I should be doing the same.” But

despite the comparisons and expectations, she feels stuck sometimes. “I go with the flow, but that flow often feels like a race.”

Shrushti admits the pressure doesn’t only come from school.

“Family expectations are always there,” she says. “My parents push me, but it’s in a positive way. They want the best for me. Still, it's hard not to feel like I’m falling short.”

A Quiet Kind of Strength

What stands out about Shrushti, though, is not her struggle — but how she faces it. Instead of giving up, she tries to stay calm. For her, cooking helps to relax. She watches inspirational

videos. "Just hearing someone say ‘you’re not alone’ makes me feel a bit better.”

She sees failure not as an end but as fuel. “Actually, failure motivates me more than success,” she smiles. “When I fall, I want to get back up stronger.”

Unfortunately, not all students have the same mindset. According to the National Institute of

Health, in 2022, India reported 2,248 student suicides related to exam failure. That number

is more than just a statistic — it’s a reminder that behind every mark sheet, there’s a student

trying their best, sometimes breaking silently.

More Than Just Marks

Shrushti studies at Avasara Academy. “Avasara is very supportive,” she says. “They don’t just

focus on marks. They care about who we are as people, and that makes it easier to talk about when we’re struggling.”

Still, even in a nurturing environment, she says, pressure finds a way through expectations,

comparisons, and the fear of not doing enough.

When asked - How can others help students?

Her answer:

“Let students breathe. Let them fail and try again. Don’t make them feel like one grade defines who they are.”

Shrushti's story is a reminder that students don’t need to be pushed harder — they need to be heard, understood, and supported. Because behind every mark, every rank, and every exam, is a teenager just trying to find her way.

Written by Amruta Dhuke

Amruta wrote this article as a participant of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.