A Day of an Exam Story

A very long one

By this time, in a certain year, I was preparing for my JAMB exam. Before that time, I had witness some of my seniors write this exam. We juniors will all gather in one corner wanting to hear their scores and judge.

Some would see their results and be excited to let us know while some will see theirs and with their reactions, we’d already know what the result was. While on the other hand, we didn’t care to know the result of some. I wanted to fall under the category where people wouldn’t care to know what I scored, whether I’d pass or not.

They will tell us, ‘’your turn is coming soon too.’’ people will also gather to want to know what your results are. I’d always feel anxious, seeing this exam as a very big deal. In fact it was the first exam I was aware we were going to write in our senior year and it pricked me the more because as soon as the results comes out, others are waiting to hear from you too. So, I would always pray to God concerning this exam, hoping when it will be my /our turn, it would be a success and there wouldn’t be room for regret.

There’s a lot I’d be sharing and the first thing I’d let out is, anything that can instil fear in you concerning exams, avoid it. In fact anything that can instill fear for any reason, avoid it.

FEAR is such a dangerous and demonic tool to slow down progress and once that comes in, it’s hard to be freed from it.
I hate exams. I hate studying. It stresses me out a lot and sometimes the pain of studying and writing exams becomes unbearable. This education is a system, we are in that system, in fact we are the ones that make up the system and it’s a must to pass.

Now that I think about it, if I look back, I didn’t think I was scared of writing any of the external exams I wrote. I mean, I hate any form of exams and studying but there was no iota of fear. It didn’t even occur to me. I was just… I don’t know how I’d explain it. Maybe one way or the other I was scared, as a result of the pressure and expectations from people and myself but I didn’t let it dwell in me.

Now I remember while I was preparing for JAMB (my external exams in general), we’ll do group reading, personal reading, night class, additional evening classes and to top it, we’d fast every Sunday. Yes dear, fast. It was like a tradition, as soon as we’re in ss3 and the preparation for external exams begins, we start to fast and pray in addition to our reading. Never forget the God factor.

This made me also remember when my mates were preparing for the GCE exam and they fasted along with their reading, but unfortunately, majority of them messed up the exam. when the time for JAMB was getting near and we all decided to beginning fasting, someone opposed and said that, we shouldn’t fast because they all fasted and did night Virgil(yes oh, we did it) and still failed the GCE exam, what will happen if they fasted and do night Virgil and it results to same thing.

It was so funny the way he blurted it out. He probably was scared and worried.

When JAMB exam period arrived, I wasn’t part of the people that wrote first, so I had the chance to ask from those that had done it, how their exam and experience was. Some complained about the questions being too hard, some complained about their computer, light or generator suddenly turning off while they were still writing the exam, some even complained about how disorganized and local their exam centre was. I didn’t even know what to do. I just kept on reading and trying my best. Deep down I was praying never to experience any of those.

It came has a shock when I was suddenly told that, my exam centre had been changed. Fortunately for me, it happened to be that, a girl whose centre I was supposed to write the exam in, wrote hers before I did. She came telling me that the centre was so bad and that the computer was nothing to be talked of. I was so relieved and hoped things worked for good.

THE D-DAY.

On the morning of my JAMB, it didn’t feel like I was going to write exam that day. Not like I had read all the text book or solved all the past entire past questions but I tried doing best and thank God, I didn’t let anything bother me. I still remember the clothes I wore that day and how I felt leaving the hostel to my JAMB centre.

I reached the centre seeing hundreds of people. I was stunned. For those of us whose centre was recently changed were the second to write, so we had time to revise. I also met with few new faces, I got to revise with. This is funny to write, cause that day, while they were revising, I had nothing to contribute, because all they were saying was so new. It felt I had not read. I’m not even going to lie, you needed to see the way I was just looking and hearing them spit facts.

I didn’t want to get distracted so I just stock to what I had read and revised them. Although, as they spoke, I unconsciously picked one or two things from what they were saying (it doesn’t harm).

One thing I know is before or during writing exams. One has to be very well collected and extremely patient. We finally entered the hall, sitting down, waiting for our registered numbers to be called into the exam room. They started calling numbers and as soon as I realized, I wasn’t going to be called soon. I started to panic. I started to think my number wasn’t on the list when it was taking time for my number to be called while everyone else were being called. I didn’t know when I started begging God. I was begging God and asking him what had gone wrong? The way I was begging for my number to be called Eh. I was finally called and the way I sighed, ‘’Thank God’’. Now that I think about, I really didn’t know why I reacted that way.

As If that wasn’t enough, when it was time for me to input my login details. The system wasn’t logging me in. I was like, ‘’God please, God please’’. I was closed to crying till I figured I inputted a letter instead of a number. It was a good thing I didn’t lose focus despite getting overwhelmed. I went back to my hostel that day like nothing happened. I thanked God, hoping for a good result

That time in school, people always said JAMB was luck. It didn’t matter if you were book smart or not. If you passed, didn’t mean you’re actually book smart and if you didn’t pass, didn’t mean you’re not book smart either. While in fact people will tell you jamb is luck. Do not resist the urge to read as much and pray as much as well. Your hard work will pay too. It isn’t just about luck all the time.

It wasn’t everyone who did well. It was sad but it’s nice to let you know, it isn’t always the end. There are always other chances and opportunity. Not passing this exam doesn’t determine a lot of things. I remember how scared we were then, thinking if one doesn’t pass this JAMB, it’s over. No, it’s not over. Majority got into the university, while some went studying abroad. While it did take time for others, they still got into uni eventually. It’s different like that for different people.

All you have to do is try your best. Sometimes, it happens that you did try your best but the result wasn’t worth it. It’s okay, you are allowed to be sad, and you’re allowed to cry. That doesn’t harm but what you’re not allowed to do is to be so hard on yourself. You can always try your best again. There’s always a next time.
To those currently writing exams or planning to write one. Wishing you success.