13 walking to 19

LAST FOCUS

Focus, concentration and determination were what I needed to graduate middle school in peace. It was getting harder the more I tried to keep going. Studies were getting stressful, my mind was filled with to many sentences and equations that I was simply going insane. I did pretty well in the mock exams which moved me to the "good" class but I was losing confidence.

People were still talking lots of things behind my back, spreading rumors and betraying me like it was nothing. Although I lost confidence, I never lost faith in God. I believed in Him. I knew that things were going to get better as long as I stayed good and worked harder.

I still remember the day my name was mentioned as one of the best students with high mock 4 exam scores. It was about a month or two before the final exam. I was emotional and confused. I could hardly  believe what was happening. It took me about 5 seconds to start walking towards the same headmaster who tried to eliminate me from the school earlier that year.

As I was walking towards the "first class", the headmaster stopped me to shake hands. "I'm proud of you", he said.  I was thrilled and content with everything at that moment. I felt unstoppable and powerful. At that moment I believed that my hard work really did pay off. I also learned that bad things happen for a good reason in the end. We might not realize the good in the bad in the beginning but as time and life goes on, we will realize that there really is a reason for everything. I believed at that point that anyone and everyone deserved a second chance to make things right.

Final exam in middle school takes only a week but the preparation towards it takes about a year or more. I was slowly losing focus as the final exam approached. Consistency was getting hard for me. I somehow discovered ways to prevent loss of focus.

1.Changing Study Environment and Methods;  My study environment had always been my room. I could not stand noise and other distractions interfering my studies. However, during the last few weeks and months before my final exam I decided to experiment. First, I tried learning in the balcony. It was beautiful. The only noise I heard was the wind blowing over the trees in the backyard, clucks of chickens and birds chirping. It was peaceful and effective. Next, I tried the living room. This plan did not just suck but was a complete disaster. My family disturbed me and I was only feeling stressed. Hence, I stuck to the balcony for a while. After a week, I decided to learn at dawn. This was somehow helping. I put my legs in a cold bucket of  ice water for hours to stay awake reading and solving stuff. Just like that, my study habit was changing little by little. Even though I know it varies from person to person, it is worth trying because changing study environment and methods absolutely helped me as a candidate. 

2. Taking a Break:  Everyone in this world deserves a break. This world is just a lot to handle for everyone and so are exams. Exams can be terrifying. I think it is completely normal for anyone to get nervous or anxious. When there is a huge exam waiting ahead, some of us often feel the need to stick our eyes to textbooks, notes and other school materials every second. I am not against that idea but sometimes, don't we need a moment of relaxation? Don't we need a moment of good music and clearing our minds off every equations, literary devices and scientific methods? I think every student needs to take a time off studies for a little while each day especially before  exams. I personally chose a day in a week where I touch nothing regarding school but just listen to good music, watch comedy shows and read novels. I needed to. I had to do that in order to keep going. If you are a teenager occupied about school works and assignments, calm down. Calm down and take a break. You are not guilty for taking a break from doing something wonderful like being committed to school and studies. 

3. Consistency and Commitment: I know how difficult it can be to be consistent. I know a few people who love to learn but as a fourteen year old, I never liked learning. It was hard but necessary. I had to continue doing what I promised myself to do. The plans I made and the study methods I figured on my own had to be done consistently. I had to stay committed. As much as I took breaks, I also had to do what was vital when it was time for me to do them. Self-discipline  is another word I could use to describe this. It is essential to control and kick distractions, laziness and temptations out of your body on your own. I learned it the hard way but it was totally worth it. 

Next chapter is titled "high school"! Stay connected and enjoy a sip of my cup of teen tea^-^