Hurray! It's exam time!

Recently, when I came across this piece, I was pleasantly surprised to note that it was a completed article. I recall having started writing this, but was under the impression that I had left it incomplete. Must have written this in the 4th year of graduation; I must have been feeling nostalgic about leaving college and it also contains a heavy dosage of GRE quality words ;-). Here it is...


A friend's email signature goes as follows: "I asked God to give me joy and He gave me life!". Characteristic of a quotable quote, this line is packed with undeniable truth and hidden meaning, not immediately visible to the naked eye. While pondering over the subtlety and intangibility of the quote, I came up with one myself. It goes like this: "A student asked God to give him joy, and He gave them exams!". This line may appear to be a trivial attempt by the author to try his hand at writing quotes, but it is indeed a paradox.

Undeniably, exams are viewed as a source of misery by virtually the entire student community. Many develop psychosomatic illnesses during the course of examinations, or sometimes just at the thought of it. Many others, complain that they are archaic methods enforced upon the students that serve no purpose in today's world. They persistently advocate for a change in the evaluation system. But then, none is able to suggest an alternative which is both feasible and agreeable to one and all. And the few studious students who do perform well constantly crib about the 1 mark lost or an unanswered question left. To anybody this would present an awfully dismal picture about the essence of exams in a student's life.

But then, like every coin has two sides, so do exams have a brighter and lighter side! I have been fortunate to study in a college - with a mandatory hostel requirement - with some of the best brains, who inexplicably believe in the cricket concept called "slog over hitting". The heavy workload that we have, coupled with the fact that the college is situated at the city outskirts, leads to little contact with the outside world. A student's life is reduced to regular assignment submissions and meeting project deadlines with the odd movie in between. This record of life, keeps playing monotonously, day in and day out. It is here that exams lease in a breath of fresh air.

Amidst the burgeoning tension, certain minor events occur which upon reflection give immense joy to the heart. If one keeps his / her senses open to these occurances, the task of preparing for and writing exams becomes an enjoyable one.

Eleventh hour preparation always calls for help from friends. The clambering for space in the already over crowded room the day before the exam, when one student dons the role of a processor and imparts "invaluable knowledge"; you and others mentally noting each and every "word of wisdom" uttered by the "Messiah"; the fun, teasing and scolding that goes on when a student is teaching; and finally your own experiences in the hot seat leave a fine imprint in the memory. These memories when recalled can make you smile, even on a hard day.

After an exam is over, heated discussions take place. Everybody justifies his / her answer and tries to impress upon others that their solution is correct. One after the other, most realize that they have made mistakes, and this deflates their morale. Suddenly, it dawns on them that any further discussion is "injurious to health" and their performance in the remaining exams. Enlightened with this knowledge, the group disbands only to form another group with another set of students. This makes one laugh, since even though the students know that the discussions will decrease their morale (and thus concentration while preparing for the next exam), they never miss out an opportunity to initiate and participate in discussions.

However, the real treat is the exam day itself. When the exam is conducted in the morning, students are forced to wake up early for a quick revision. This provides the student with the rare opportunity to witness the sun breaking across the horizon. An equally beautiful but also hilarious sight is when one and all rush towards the bathrooms to get a bath. The banging on the doors, or the shouting / scolding that goes on during the process makes one wonder "When did this happen the last time?". But the gem of all, is the constant ringing of alarm clocks that make all kinds of sounds. The rooms being closely spaced, one can hear more than one alarm at a given time. As soon as one stops, another starts ringing somewhere else. This goes on and on, well into the morning. Even though a distraction, it translates into music to the observant ear.

While the above experiences were encountered, in a specific hostel and college setting, others might have also undergone different but related experiences in their hostels or even homes. It is these experiences, that one should look forward to and also percieve to make exams a livelier aspect of life. To sum it up, even though exams are bad for whatever reasons, we can seek to enjoy ourselves even during this phase. And finally, one should remember that since there is something bad, we appreciate the good and happy moments of life.