The exam season and some "flash back"

Yesterday while listening to a conversation of exam-worried mothers (my friends) on Whatsapp, I had a 'flash-back' moment.

Although for me, the board-exam-worried-mother phase is yet to begin [A-junior is still going to elementary school with a lunchbox and a water bottle], but I know that there is no escape. Especially, having studied in that system (in India), I totally  understand what the moms are going through.

Roles have changed. Now, we have become the mothers of the examinees and that is a very different feeling from being the examinee ourselves (this is true irrespective of country, system or culture).

There is stress in both cases but the 'type' of stress is different.

The examinee thinks  'will I be able to answer the questions'?

The Mother thinks "will he be able to answer the questions? Did he study enough? He is always on the ipad, when did he study? Will he have a good future? Am I too strict? How can I help him keep focus? Where can I ...? How can I ....? When can I ..?"

[I can fill the whole page with questions that race through her mind]

The stress is 'different'  .....

On Whatsapp, I wished my friend's son all the best saying "Physics is a piece of cake, cool" and asked my friend to "chillax"!!
In my heart, I went back to my days of stress....drifted into some "flash back " moments.......

Subject: Physics.

Time: Class 12th, pre-board exam

I was terribly stressed. The chapters Heat, Light and Electricity were to blame. So many problems, so many diagrams, so much theory! Really felt like the most difficult day of my life, Physics exam.

After the usual "baba ma ke pronam and doi -er tip"[blessings from parents and yogurt for good luck], I left for the examination hall. 
(Even today, when I am writing about it on my blog for fun, it still gives me the goose bumps, ha ha!). 
Anyway, the bell rang and the question papers were distributed. I quickly glanced through the paper. First glance told me that I knew most of the answers quite well. The good news was there were no problems from the chapters Heat and Electricity! Phew, what a relief, almost too good to be true! 

My pen started rolling. Since most problems were relatively known and within my comfort zone, I took time to draw nice diagrams with all answers, drew straight margins and tried to continue in the best of my handwriting..slow and steady. I even sharpened my pencil once or twice.  Having successfully finished my paper, I walked out of the hall, confident and happy. While riding back home, together with a friend, she asked, "Could you answer the question on coefficient of thermal expansion ?"
I fell from the sky. 
"But there were no questions on heat and electricity", I replied back.

My friend gave me a shocked look and said "What?? About half the questions were from those two chapters!!"

I could not believe my ears.....Hastily took out the question paper from my bag and glanced again. She took the paper from my hands and turned it! Next page had 5 questions on heat and electricity!

In my super-stress-converted-to-super-relief state of mind, I did not turn the page.

I had only answered/attempted half the questions.....

The world around me started becoming hazy as tears filled up my eyes.........
Managed to 'just' pass.

Subject: Physics.

Time: BSc, final exam

Again terrible stress. Exam time. Girls studying everywhere. Home sickness. Power cut. Candles. Mosquitoes. Hostel mess serving shitty food --gourd curry and rice, thats it!

(have to build up the sympathy factor among my readers to make them relate to my stress). 
Parents were not around, so no 'baba ma ke pronam' but friends made sure that we had the 'doi-er phonta' [yogurt luck]. 

A bit of digression here...have to say that friends in hostel become more than family.

The exam hall was as usual - tense.

Question papers were distributed. One quick glance and I realized that I did not know the answers to most of the questions. Read it again, as if reading it twice would trigger the 'light bulb' moment. Still blank. No clue where to start. Heart pounded so loudly .....I was certain everyone could hear it. I did not even dare to look up from my paper fearing that everyone else had started writing. I tried a few seconds of 'ooommmm' with closed eyes and then looked at the question paper again. Still the same unknown questions. Then I heard a hustle beside me. Looked up and saw a friend of mine submitting the answer paper and leaving the room. Within 5 mins another girl left. Looked around to see more blank faces like mine....I did not have the guts to leave a blank answer paper.
Focus focus, there must be something .......you have studied, girl!
There was one question which (on repeated reading) started to feel vaguely familiar.  A tangent galvanometer problem. I tried to solve the problem and then as an after thought wrote about all the different types of galvanometers I studied. 
;-)
At some point of time the stress vanished (surrendered to fate), a new nirvana sort of feeling kicked in and I found a few more things to write.
Have no clue how I managed to pass that paper......

Subject: Physics.

Time: MSc, 1st year
This incident actually comes from borrowed memory of my roomie-best-friend M. During our exam related discussion on whatsapp yesterday, she asked me how could I ever forget my stress during the master's exams?
I do not remember much of it. She does because she was my room mate...and am sure she had her Botany exams that day too!!;-))
Apparently I had serious stress for that paper (must be Electronics) and went for the exams already with a long face. Came back crying ...exams went very bad.  She said 'half of the hostel was there in our room in the evening to comfort you, you were so heart broken'.
;-))

How can a person with such a history even dare to say  "Physics is a piece of cake" and  "chillax"??
The only reason she can is because for her exams are "over" and she is not going to take one single exam anymore ..........kuch bhi ho jaye....
hihihihihi..hahahaha...hohohoho.....

I do not have a recipe today. 
Instead, let me share a photo from my camera which is so serene, so peaceful, so relaxing.....am sure will help to cope with some of your stress, specially if you are a mom and a Physics exam is coming up.....

photo: www.pinterest.com