Post-Examination Rant

Written by Maryam Mohd Shukri

26 January 2022

Hello everyone! It has been such a long time since I last updated this blog. I hope you are happy and healthy everyday.

Recently, I have just finished my IB examination. No words can describe how relieved I felt after finishing three weeks of examination. I hope that I have done my best to excel in the examination. Although it was a rough period, I managed to survive and finish all the papers I had for the examination. I faced so many problems and difficulties during the IB examination week.

It all started when I had to submit five assignments before the beginning of the examination. As I take six subjects in IB, I have to complete many other requirements to pass IB. It was very stressful to make sure that I hand in the assignments in time and also finish reading notes for the examination. However, I had succeeded in submitting the assignments because I had done proper planning before the examination started. I created a study schedule that begins from 50 days before the examination period. In the study schedule, I assigned myself to study three subjects a day to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Since then, I have realised how important it is to have good time management during stressful periods.

Aside from that, I struggled with keeping up my momentum during the examination week. Maintaining my motivation at a high level is very difficult especially when I have a lot to juggle at one time. On some days, I would feel very excited to study and do a lot of exercises. On some days, I would feel that sleeping is the only thing I want to do in this world. To avoid the urge to sleep all day, I asked my friend to study together with me so that we can encourage each other to keep going on. I feel very grateful to my friend for always keeping me in check during the examination. Without the help of my friend, I would have given up a long time ago.

Lastly, I had trouble taking good care of my own health. My sleeping schedule was very messed up because I kept on sleeping in the late hours and waking up in the afternoon. I was feeling very distressed over wasting my time just by sleeping too much. Hence, I had to discipline myself by ensuring that I sleep before the clock hits 12 o’clock every night. I woke up early the next morning and started my day on a good note. I had to do this routine for two weeks in order to make my sleeping schedule back to normal again.

Examination period is always stressful for me. However, I know that all my struggles will always be worth it in the end. I hope that all of you will never lose hope and keep going on to achieve the things you have always dreamed about. Remember, life is a storm that will test you unceasingly. Do not wait for calm waters that may not arrive. Learn to sail the raging sea.

That is all from me today. If you feel comfortable, please share your experiences and struggles during examination in the comments section. Let’s all share our thoughts and feelings happily.

Thank you for reading!