Hands Up if your Ready To Write

Whether you have a black pen that actually works is the least of your worries, you just about to write an exam of earth-shattering importance. It’s your final exam that determines whether you qualify or not. Ten minutes to go you spot your friend with an estranged expression on his "one hour of sleep" face. You come to the realisation that it’s a cross between stress and the surprise that the ash of his cigarette is on his jacket.
He frantically brushes it off, and takes the last drag...inhale.
"Was up dude, are ready?"…exhale.
 “I was having problems with the last three chapters"
This is the part where you caught in the middle of offering your assistance, or actually just saying "I need to go to the bathroom", just so that you don’t get yourself confused with what he doesn’t know.
The aura around the exam room is enough to make you vomit the answers you actually supposed to be writing. But that atmosphere is what I’m addicted to; everyone is so different and unique in that moment.
Seated conveniently around the “do or die” exam hall, are the five types of people who are about to write the exam:

1. The Amazing A student who is not close enough for your to get the last prep-small talk from. He’s up-straight-ready-to-write posture makes you a little envious. 

2. Your best mate, who is late and still in a state of confusion, is seated close enough for you to wish him good luck with your eyes, but is too far away from you to ask if you have an extra black pen. And a ruler. And a calculator.

3. That group of friends that you know but don’t really know. They are the go-to-guys. After glancing at them with acknowledgement, you realise you should’ve went to one of them because they might have something you don’t; like the exam paper itself.

4. Then there’s the group of peers you don’t know; yes you know who I’m talking about. The people who only attend when there are exams, tests or important assessments. You always marvel at the fact that they always make it though. How the hell? But don’t compare yourself to these people; they have mastered the art of submitting doctor’s notes confessing unimaginable sicknesses and allergies.

5. Finally, the last group of students. We can’t really place them in a definite category but their repertoire includes; The rock stars, The pretty girls, The jocks, the teachers pets, the “I’m not supposed to be here’s”, the “I didn’t study the right chapters”, the cool kids, “the loud-mouths because my parents are well off”, the “you know she’s going to fail” and then the average kids. Average in everything they do, their social status is average, average in their marks, average in how they dress and even how they look. They are known for nothing other than just being around.

I honestly don’t want and I hope I wasn’t the average kid in varsity. How you are in varsity usually translates to how the rest of your life will unfold.  Be extra ordinary in something. Be awesome in being average. Be extra confident when you’re about to right your exam or be super stressed. Don’t just be. The average kids have the don’t-care attitude which is the worst of the worst.

The fifteen minutes before your exam is who you are. It says something about how you approach life, the big and the little things. I approach my fifteen minutes of life with vigour and purpose and with the aim of getting the best mark possible.