As of today, year 12 and my AS exams are finished! Yippeee! I honestly feel like the biggest weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, and I don't know what to do with myself. I got home from my last exam, and I just feel quite lost. I've gotten myself into the habit and routine of coming home, getting into something comfy, working as hard as I can all evening and then going to bed. And then repeating the whole thing the next day. It feels weird that I have the time to sit and watch a movie, or just take a nap without feeling guilty. I don't know how well I'm going to adjust to the whole not having anything to do thing. I quite liked the whole productivity which came with revision.
Although my exams are over, I feel like until I get my exam results, and I've secured the grades I need and want, I wont stop stressing. Although there is nothing I can do about it any more, it will be something that plays on my mind until that terrifying day in August.
However, I came across a really inspiring video a couple of days ago. It gives the message that our futures and aspirations should not be determined by a grade. If you have worked hard, and you know that you have tried your absolute best, you can succeed in life, whether you get the grades you need or not. Exams are merely just a test of how much you can remember in one shot. It's not testing you on your ability to be able to fully understand something. It tests you on your ability of remembering information and regurgitating it. That does not show knowledge. 90% of the things I "learnt" at GCSE are now things that I can't remember at all. Not once have I had to refer back to Pythagoras theorem or the electromagnetic spectrum (what even is that?). That doesn't go to say to go into your exams with a bad attitude; you have to revise for them. Although the whole concept is frustrating, it's just how it is. If you have a bad attitude towards everything, you will never get where you want to be. What I am trying to say is as long as you do show that you are willing to put in the effort, your grades are not the only things that will define your future, which is shown through the video.
If you are a student, whether it be at GCSE level, A-level or even University standard, you need to remember that you can not succeed at every attempt you make. If you fail in anything that doesn't make you a bad person. We can not be good at everything, and sometimes you have to try new things and find out what you're good at. And if that still doesn't work, just continue trying. There's always another way around things.
Albert Einstein could not speak until he was 4 years old and his teachers told his Mother that "he would never amount to anything". He is now known as a genius.
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He is now known as one of the greatest basketball players.
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper company because he "lacked imagination" and "had no original ideas". His company and movies are now some of the most successful in the world.
This just goes to show that if you try your hardest, and do not let your failures define you, you will eventually succeed and get where you need to be. A lot of hard work can go a long way, and it will pay of eventually.
Good luck to everyone in the process of achieving whatever it is that you dream of. And in particular good luck to any students who are sitting any exams and are preparing for the upcoming results day! I hope everyone achieves what they deserve and want. Hopefully this post has inspired you and eased any of your worries. I know that watching the video really put my mind into perspective.
"Success in life comes when you simply refuse to give up, with goals so strong that obstacles, failure and loss only act as motivation."
(Sorry if this post is really messy and isn't very well structured. I was just jotting down all of my thoughts as they came to me. If you ever wanted to know what goes on in my head...here it is!)
P.S. If all else fails in your exams, just listen to this. I promise it will make you feel better.