Exams With A Difference!

This was a hit every student sitting for internationally accredited examinations definitely sang. Exams are so stressful. Let’s face it even the most brightest students do get a little anxious before sitting for theory and practical based examinations. The good thing about my connection to music is that it can come in handy even in the most discouraging situations, leaving me uplifted. At school those writing Ordinary and Advanced Level Examinations are always assembled and seated at least 30 minutes before exam time. The time in between would then be used to get everyone ready for the examination.

But as it was a Catholic school it would have been taboo for students to sit for examinations before bowing their heads down for prayer. In addition those writing exams had to choose other stress coping mechanisms. Before I sat for my O level exams, candidates had opted for stress balls. What a waste of flour and baloons!. For some reasons my stream mates were economical- we were not going to consume 50 kg of flour just to get our fingers pasty especially when there was a more convenient approach- music.

We chose to listen to an uplifting song instead before the exams. The organising committee got down to business and handed out lyrics to ‘Let It Be’ a few days before exams. I was familiar with the song but I just had to know the lyrics word for word. I did just that. When it was time for exams we got to Veritas Hall, all the candidates were seated, the papers handed out, instructions explained after which a short prayer was made then came the moment we had all been waiting for. We all got up and genially sang ‘Let It Be’- very moving.