Exams

Today, students in Singapore who sat for the GCE ‘A’ Levels in 2020 received their results. Twenty one years and change since I was in their shoes. I look back now and I feel overwhelmed with amazement at what I learnt during the two years leading up to those examinations.

Honestly, they were the single most traumatic set of examinations I have ever sat in my life. I still remember that many of the guys who took the exams when I did were at the tail end of our field camp during Basic Military Training in Pulau Tekong. First, we heard rumours which eventually got confirmed. My reflexive response to the rumours was a simple prayer – “Please God, I hope I didn’t fail!” The last thing I wanted in life at that point was to have to undergo the process of studying, revising, and sitting for the ‘A’ Levels again.

(Of course, in hindsight, that thought was the result of apocalyptic thinking which I had honed to sharp edge since I was old enough to do so. I still have such instances to date.)

I congratulate everyone who received their results today regardless of your results. I know that the ‘A’ Levels of the current time are not quite similar to what I went through but I do not believe it got easier. If you survived the process, you deserve a congratulations in my book.

Which brings me to my next little anecdote. Back in early 2012, I was on the MRT heading home, and I happened to overhear a pair of boys who must have been in university or at some other point in my life where the ‘A’ Levels are still fresh in their minds. They were talking about their former schoolmates, particularly this one girl who had supposedly secured herself a government scholarship to study law. One of the boys remarked that this girl was set for life, and the other agreed readily. There was an unmistakable tone of envy in their voices as they spoke.

I remember smirking as I heard them speak. I also recall resisting the urge to turn around and grab them by their shoulders to shake them into realising the utter ridiculousness of their words.

That’s my second message to you, if you got your results today. One examination does not dictate your life. You are probably somewhere between 18 and 20 years old, or maybe a bit more. If you live to 80 years old, you are only one quarter of the way through. A set of academic results at that age will most definitely affect your life, but not in its entirety.

If you feel sad about how you did, that’s ok. Let yourself feel that sorrow for awhile. A longer while if you think you need to. But don’t let it hinder you from taking steps in a forward direction.

If you did well, by all means, rejoice and be proud. But also don’t let it hinder you from continuing to grow and progress.

Achieving good academic results at any stage of your schooling life gives you more options. But how you live your life is not a direct function of any academic examination you ace. Remember that the road is open.

Look around you and you will no shortage of evidence that one examination is not your life. Not everyone who is successful did well in school and not everyone who did well in school is successful. Also, success is not an objective concept.

For some, success is a cool car and a comfortable home and a lucrative career.

For others, just getting out of bed and cleaning themselves up makes a successful day (myself included on some days).

Success only carries as much significance and meaning as you yourself accord to it. That’s my parting shot.

Keep going. You’ve only just begun to live.