TheThirdDiagnosticExaminationinSeniorHighSchool
Thethirddiagnosticexaminationinseniorhighschoolislikeasignificantmilestoneonthearduousjourneyofourhighschoolyears.Itisnotjustanordinarytestbutamomentthatstirsupawhirlwindofemotionsandleavesanindeliblemarkonmymemory.
Astheexamdateloomedcloser,theatmosphereintheclassroomgrewincreasinglytense.Theusualchatterandlaughterwerereplacedbytherustlingofpapersandthescratchingofpens.Everyonewasburiedinbooksandnotes,determinedtomakethemostofeverypreciousminute.I,too,wascaughtupinthisfrenzyofrevision,stayinguplateintothenight,poringovertextbooksandpastpapers,hopingtofillinthegapsinmyknowledge.
Finally,thedayoftheexaminationarrived.Iwalkedintotheclassroomwithamixtureofnervousnessandexcitement.Myheartwaspoundinglikeadrum,andmypalmsweresweating.AsIsatdownatmydeskandreceivedtheexaminationpaper,ahushfellovertheroom.Theonlysoundswerethetickingoftheclockandthefaintbreathingofmyclassmates.
Itookadeepbreathandbegantoreadthequestions.Someofthemwerefamiliar,andIfeltasenseofreliefasIquicklyjotteddowntheanswers.Butthen,Iencounteredafewdifficultquestionsthatmademymindgoblank.Panicstartedtosetin,andIcouldfeelmyhandstrembling.Foramoment,Iwasataloss,notknowinghowtoproceed.Butthen,Iclosedmyeyes,tookafewdeepbreaths,andtriedtocalmmyselfdown.IremindedmyselfthatIhadstudiedhardandthatIwascapableofansweringthesequestions.Slowly,mymindcleared,andImanagedtocomeupwithsomeideas.
Astheexaminationprogressed,Ibecamemoreandmoreabsorbedinthequestions.Iforgotaboutthenervousnessandthepressureandfocusedallmyattentiononansweringthequestionstothebestofmyability.BeforeIknewit,thetimewasup,andIhandedinmypaper.
Afterthee