9 hours before an External Examination.

For some reason, I think this is the perfect time to write this blog entry. Because I'm 'in it', so I can write about it better. It's been 16 years. 16 years of incessant tests, exams, marks, assignments, homework, vivas. We don't really realize it, but come to think of it, more than half the stress in a kid's life is because of the pressure that is put on him/her. The pressure of exams. It's such a huge part of a student's life.

That's all he is taught since the time he enters kindergarten. His parents want him to be the best, to excel at everything. And EVERY parent wants this, mind you, so just imagine the amount of expectations they have from their child. They push him, and pester him and tutor him and guide him and lecture him to "STUDY HARD". They are a parent's favorite words ever, "Stop wasting your time and go study." And then the report cards, parent-teacher meetings, evaluation, scoldings, scrutiny, nervousness, stressful sleepless nights. At some point of time the kid is bound to yell, 'HEY LAY OFF, WILL YA?!"

It's different when you're in junior school, when getting straight 'A's and little stars and 'V.good's on your test papers is child's play. But in high school, especially during the Boards time, reality hits you in the face. You realize how competitive everyone around you has become and your doing well will determine your career and your future and blah blah. Sigh, and since then, it's the same for the next 4-5 years. Especially if you're in an  institute like mine. We have countless tests and exams all year round. I have an external exam tomorrow.

And my preparation? Zero. Zilch.

Why? you may ask. Well, it's simple really. I'm fed up! I'm saturated! I cannot take in a word I'm reading. All the words, letters and points are dancing in front of me! Does that make it clear? The more I think about that big fat heavy-weight champ book, the less I feel like opening it. On top of that, I'm crabby and moody. Really doesn't help when you have an exam the next day and it's 1 o'clock in the morning. Oh, how I loathe this time of the year! There are movies waiting to be watched! Books waiting to be read! Places waiting to be visited! And here I am, facing the worst exam-night of my life. What a shame! There are a certain things which I've realized and I observe them every time during exams. They apply to more or less every student and I'm sure if you're a student, you'd be able to relate to them.

Okay, here they go:

1. You NEVER feel like studying for an exam.


2. Everytime before the exam starts, you nervously look at your friends and say, "I don't know ANYTHING!" And they say, "Same here, I'm gonna flunk."
    But end up getting marks anyway :|


3. Whatever you study or revise JUST before your exam starts, you'll never forget.


4. No matter how many points you mug up, you're ALWAYS going to forget a few of them.


5. Even if you like a certain subject, you'd still hate it just because it is a part of your syllabus.


6. No matter when your teacher asks you to do an assignment, you're gonna finish it only at the last minute.


7. There's at least one question in each exam which you had left thinking they won't ask you that.


8. You can never be 'fully prepared' for an exam.


9. Every time you feel there is an urgent need to cheat, there is going to be a strict invigilator.


10. Every time you promise to yourself, "I'm going to study for it beforehand next time", but you never do.


11. Your parents don't notice when you're studying, but when you start taking a break, they yell at you.


12. Your 'breaks' usually longer than the time you've spent studying.


13. More than half of your time gets wasted on the phone with your friends making 'after-exams' plans and having the most inane and senseless conversations ever.


14. When you know you've to study, even things like watching TV or reading some book (which you would otherwise not want to do) seem mighty interesting.


15. When your alarm goes off in the morning, you snooze it for "5 more minutes" but end up getting an hour later, panic striken and cursing yourself.


16. Studying makes you oh-so-sleepy (especialy if it's cold and your warm, cosy bed calls out to you).


17. You think you'll take a break for 15 minutes and log on to Facebook; and end up wasting more than an hour on it gallivanting about aimlessly.


18. Even if you completely mess up your last exam, it doesn't really matter because it's the LAST exam!


19. You feel hungry and ergo, take all the meal breaks. (Come on, you need energy to study!) but because you eat too much, you end up being warm and woozy and sleepy and go off to sleep.


20. No matter how much you score, your parents will always say things like, "Hm, good, but you can do better!", "Aim higher!" :|


21. Time crawls. C .R. A. W. L. S.


22. You're always going to have this one friend who would call you up at the last hour to ask you 'What all is important' (or maybe you're the one who does that).


23. And then there are going to be instances when you come out of the exam hall, tired and spent and thanking your luck that you'll manage to pass, and someone would say, "Oh no, I made a two mark mistake!" :|


24. Blaming your teachers for setting up difficult question papers and not giving enough marks is more fun than actually studying and scoring marks.


25. You don't care if you get really poor marks as long as all your friends get poor marks as well.


26. If you study with a friend/friends, you waste a LOT of time gossiping and preparing mid-night snacks, but these are the times you're going to remember after college.


27. Sometimes when everybody is busy revising and learning important points right before the exam, two of your friends would be discussing a topic you have no idea about. And you go, "Damn."


28. Exams give you the perfect excuse to extract some sympathy out of your parents and excuse yourself from household chores!


29. Sometimes you look at a question and you're like, "Hey I know this! I did this last night!" But as soon as you start attempting it, poof! it vanishes!


30. After reading a few sentences, you daydream, then giggle to yourself, then look back at your book, and sigh.


31. No matter how many leaves you get before an exam, you're ALWAYS going to study on the last day till the last hour.


32. You're always asking this question to yourself and all the others, even when you know the exact answer, "When will these exams get over?!"


Now, how many of you read the points and smiled in agreement? :P