You know. It's the end of my exams. YAY! So I was slacking at home, listening to Yes 933...

(By the way, both French 2 and Selection & Assessment went well! =D)

Right now, it is exam period for the secondary schools. And many secondary school students are sending in messages screaming for help for their papers tomorrow, and saying how stressed they are and are generally afraid of failure.

And that set me thinking about my secondary school days. I don't ever remember studying until like THAT for my mid-year exams, or for the O Levels even. I don't know. I don't remember ever treating failing the mid-year exams like it's the end of the world. And that makes me wonder, what happens when it comes to their O Levels? A Levels? Wouldn't they have to die of stress overload already?

Then exams in the university leh? The secondary school kids are mugging one whole textbook (or less, depending on which stage of the education they are now) for the O Levels at the end of 2 years. Uni students are mugging one whole textbook (or even more) for an examination at the end of 3 months. If they cry mother cry father now, then oh my god, I wonder how they will adapt to university.

Oh. Don't get me wrong. I am not trivializing their stress, or saying that they shouldn't feel stressed now. Yeah, they are stressed now, and I acknowledge that. But, maybe I just don't understand. I never had such problems before (really, I don't. I wasn't even that stressed when it comes to Physics A Levels, I just accepted my doomed fate... *shrugs*), and I am not having such problems now. Maybe it's because I planned my revision time well. Or maybe because of other factors. I don't know.

Maybe those kids, in the future, could reduce their stress by planning their revision carefully and early. If they are having problems from the start and if they are so afraid of failing a mid-term test, then maybe they should get tuition.

Or maybe the education system and kiasuism is at fault. Yes, meritocracy works and stuff ("in principle", says the student who took a module in Social Inequality last semester), but chasing grades so damn hard at such a young age is generally bad for childhood and mental health and stuff.

Or maybe they will grow up in a few years' time, and when they attend university and get the taste of exam life here, they will think back to their secondary school days and laugh at themselves for over-reacting to a mid-year exam paper. Maybe. Or maybe they will freak out even more, cause that's the only way they know how. Because they have been living in such a system for majority of their lives. Who knows right?

But, for goodness sake, I really do hope it's the former. Laughing at their younger selves in a few years' time is definitely much better than freaking out last minute, every time, the day before a university exam.