Rewind four years…
‘Pens down.’
Breathe. ‘You’ve done your best, let it go…’ (rational voice floundering in a sea of panic).
‘Oh my gosh, what was I on about? What was that EXAM on about?!’ (whimper)
‘I totally crashed - this is the end of everything!’
I know the sensation. You’ve just been hit by a trial exam curve ball and feel as if the light might slowly slip from the day. Oh the drama…All that hard work misdirected. The gnawing, regretful pain.
All is not lost! For someone nearing the end of what will be 14 years of exams, I’ve had my fair share of shockers. We all have. It is humanly impossible to produce a string of faultless performances. Nobody (normal) gets a standing ovation every time they walk out on stage.
While I have no pity for anyone not bothered to learn their lines, there are times, even after months of preparation, when things don’t click into gear. It’s only natural.
What if the applause is mediocre? Take a deep breath, pick up your script and work even harder to blow the audience’s socks off next time. You’ve still got every chance to polish your act.
Everything about the HSC - the constant flow of assignments, half yearlies, trials and the final nail-biting exams - is like putting the Acts of a play together.
This time four years ago (seriously scary) I was piecing together the last scraps of my Art major work, in the midst of Russia’s role in the Cold War, Geography’s mega cities and English’s fixation with ‘change.’
I know what hard toil it is but my load was lightened by the fact that I loved (nearly) everything I studied. I carried this advantage on with me to uni. I chose a degree and subjects which I really enjoy immersing myself in.
If going to uni also means taking a year off to ‘chilax’ and think about what’s going to make you happy - DO IT. I never looked back.
As you round the final bend and flick through the UAC guide think about choosing a degree that really interests you. Think about choosing something you can see yourself loving. What are you good at? No one’s asking you to present a future profession or life plan. The first step is going with your strengths and even more importantly, your passions.
I have a little book of Indian wisdom that I keep next to my bed. The one phrase I cling to in my ‘moments’ of overanalysing and stress is ‘when the big things go wrong, take pleasure in the small things, that by and by your spirit is healed and the big things hurt less.’ Good old Sakhi Shivakami.
The UAI is important but it is not the be all and end all. If ‘big’ things go wrong along the way, don’t despair. Step back and look at everything you have achieved this year. Use any disappointment as a spur to improve next time.
Think of all the students who have come out the other end unscathed! You are almost there. As you march along overshadowed by the ‘big’ picture, remember to enjoy the little things along the way. Have fun. Take lots of breaks. See your friends. Focus on that all important ‘balance.’
Take things as they come. Once the moment’s gone, let it slip into the past. Don’t aggravate it by stewing over what could or should have been. In the great scheme of things, you’re not going to look back and think, ‘if only I’d quoted…’
GOOD LUCK!