What i feel before, after and while writing my ACT exam...

 What I feel before, after and while writing my ACT exam …

It’s almost time; it’s almost time...

The trickling of my sweat from my forehead; my big green watery eyes, the chapped lips and the dry throat. Almost feeling like I had gulped down pickled juice and wanted to throw up.  Typical signs of nervousness before entering the ACT/SAT exam room. I felt suffocated being with so many students out there in that room. I kept on clamping my sweaty palms, my stomach rumbled with hunger and for some reason my feet were shaking. I had never felt like this before, I am not like this! I am quite chilled out about exams and tests however the pressure of achieving a high score in ACT/SAT was overpowering my calm and cool attitude. The same thing repeated in my forehead- ‘NEED TO GET GOOD GRADES OTHERWISE NO COLLEGE!’ I tried to calm myself down however all I could think was about the paper.

All my five senses were highly alert and I could fell, hear everything detail in the spacious room. I could fell my heart pumping, I sense my anxiety increasing I could hear the chit- chat of the people in the other corner.  I was a mess however I had to fight that feeling! I entered the room and removed all my stationary out that I required; I rechecked my calculator twice just to make sure that it was working properly. I saw that all my pencils were sharp and I filled the form carefully avoiding making a single mistake. Typical signs of being nervous!  The invigilator came and handed out the papers. Oh and that wait for the paper! That wait was terrible to start the paper. I could feel the smooth white paper, which would change my life forever! The paper was about to start at 9 and as the clock ticked to 8:59 everyone glared at the watch. That moment was frozen…everyone was nervous and that one-minute almost felt like an hour. As soon as it turned 9 we all rushed and started solving the paper. It felt like a mini marathon happening within my brain. I was overloaded with information and apparently this paper was a way to prove my intelligence! The paper went on for 3 long hours each second counted. I could fell the competition and the heat in the room, everyone wanted the highest marks and wanted to beat the other person.

After the paper was over I felt relieved. I felt overjoyed and I really didn’t care about what I will get because I gave my 100% and I am pretty sure that my hard work will pay off.  It felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulders. The anxiety had settled down. I thought everyone must have felt the same way in the room however as I stepped out of the room all I saw was people discussing their papers and crying over mistakes they made! This made me reflect upon the human behavior. Is our life only based on grades?  Universities will see your marks but marks wont define your intelligence and it surely isn’t a way of judging your personality or potential. There is more to life than grades.  Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t to work hard. People worry too much however life is too short to worry. Competition is good but for me I am my biggest competitor and I work hard to make myself better than yesterday. I compete to be better than what I was yesterday and that’s my Mantra !