This is the really short version of the two months I spent studying for a major exam. This exam sometimes outweighs the entire BA degree, when one is being considered for his Masters degree by the admissions Committee.
So I took a special course to prepare for it:
First meeting
We met at the student's union building. The entrance was at the top of the mountain and the lift took us 3 floors down the mountainside. The meeting, according to the sign at the entrance, took place at the bottom floor, so into the lift we went. A drop I can't say I fully recovered from (well, maybe I have but it sounds more dramatic this way).
Stacks of different colored books were lined up on tables, croissants and coffee too. In between the crowd I met a few smiling faces, friends that got there earlier. At the tables we presented our ID's and were handed heavy bags with books in them. I shoved the big bag into my backpack, which made me feel like I was carrying the weight of full diving gear outside the water. I hoisted the backpack on my shoulder and made my way over to the coffee stand to grab a cup. Adjacent to the room we were in, was an amazing balcony. The balcony stood on a slope and provided an amazing view of the bay. There was a nice breeze that helped carry the heat from my body. The heat was building up since we got there. I was already nervous. I felt my pulse rising. Although this was only a formal meeting and the course didn't even start yet, they made us take an exam. I knew they didn't expect much and that it didn't mean anything, but it was still a test.
At these situations, my body usually has a mind of it's own. And in this mind I'm an antelope that is being chased by a starved crazy uber-lion. It thinks I need to lose weight in order to run faster - that is a nice way of saying I can't leave the toilet for a while, which is a nice way to say that I can't stop...well you get it.
I realize it's only a test and that it isn't a life/death situation but my body is not listening. Why won't it cooperate? my pulse is firing a million rounds a minute and my pupils are widening - and I'm like, seriously? I'm not a bloody antelope. Stop this at once! Have you ever heard of an antelope playing "Angry Birds" on the toilet?
A month later
I was half way through the journey that leads to the final and painful exam. It was a Saturday, and I was having a light meal and cup of coffee, as I was getting ready to take a 3.5 hours simulation examination. This was my first simulation, one of many to come. This was a short version of the exam, not a proper simulation. The actual exam is 5.5 hours long. I remember shifting a lot in my chair and getting up to wash my face a few times. At the end of it, I was tired, I had headache and my throat was dry.
...............
I spent the two months studying like a maniac. I woke up every day and sat next to my desk to study. Hard. I spent most of my time answering questions and reading articles and answering more questions. It was frustrating, extremely demanding and sometimes unbearable. My mind was always busy. I did allow myself to go out, drink (mostly water and in moderation), and hang out with friends (study buddies). It all sounds very nerve wrecking and it was. I was actually doing OK compared to others, but it definitely got to me. If it didn't get to you, well then you should probably consider a career as a hired gun man, or admit yourself to a psychiatric hospital.
Nevertheless, I did learn new things about myself. I've learned that my will is as strong as an ox and that I'm flexible enough not to break under such pressure. I made new friends, visited new places and expanded my view a little more.
D-Day
I was the first one out. I handed in
my exam and stepped out of the classroom. A guy and girl were walking towards
me, the girl was holding a floating Sponge-Bob Balloon. "Are you the first
one out?" she asked me, and I nodded 'yes' with my head. "Is this for
me? I pointed at the balloon. She smiled and said "no, I'm waiting for my
friend to finish". I carried on, out of the building, slowly realizing I'm
free, I don't have to get up tomorrow and study like crazy. The exam was
finally behind me. The exam was hard as expected, but I had a good feeling. I
gave it everything I had. And now there was nothing left to do but wait.
12 hours after the exam
I'm in a cab on my way to the
airport, on my knees is a big pointy hat. I'm very tired, because just after
the exam I went with two friends to celebrate at a bar. When I got home it was
already dark outside, and I had to start packing. I just couldn't bring myself
to pack the night before the exam. So I got very little sleep, and in the
middle of the night I took a cab to the airport. At the airport I met my
friends and we boarded a plane to Munich, Germany.
About 6 hours later
We climbed out of the underground
station and on to the street, alongside many others to celebrate Oktoberfest,
the closest thing you get to an adult version of Disneyland.
to be continued...
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