Self-love and acceptance (for a spiritual teen)

exams

ah, by far my top favorite thing to talk about. and priority in life.

well, if i must be honest, i don't quite like the idea of being put to the test or 'graded' or judged or anything along those lines.

but all the capitalistic and materialistic parts aside, i'd like to take a spiritual point of view. rather than 'will i pass this test?', i find myself thinking 'will the universe help me do well?'.

an exam essentially tests everything about you. your endurance(mental and physical), your tolerance, your will to live...

and passing this so-called test is probably cake walk. if you crack the code.

anyhow, after writing a bunch of exams and having experienced every point on the spectrum between getting the exact pass mark, getting 100% and 100 percentile- i'd like to share a few bits of what i did to drag and keep myself on the higher end.

1. pretty obvious, but study. not just the material for the exam. study yourself. study your environments. study the world. study those who're doing well, those who're not. study to learn, not for the exam alone.

at the moment of studying, think of exactly why you 'want to' study. don't think 'have to', that indicates studying isn't what you wish to do. study with good intent and motivation. keep in mind that if distractions are common and you have failed a test or something, you must learn the lesson and move on- treating yourself as appropriate. (some go for strict measures, others are more gradual in getting rid of distractions.)

2.  mind what you eat and drink on an exam day.

3. mind who you talk to on an exam day. as per your needs, it is good to revise with a group or alone, or just not talk at all. since energy is a major requirement, it is best to avoid the last minute fretters and conserve you mind. unless an emergency arises (more so, in some cases) try to stay calm and collected.

of course, if you are a last minute person (like me), make sure to get rid of all your negative energy and feelings (pessimism, regret, etc) as soon as possible before the exam. attain calmness, and the sip some water to clear your mind. observe your surroundings and try to recall whatever you've studied that could be useful.

4. try to imagine a guiding force around you. helping you though. this gives you a somewhat semi-solid hope, and a solid emotion to associate your ability to recall with. 

if this doesn't work, think of the time after the exam, when you will feel much less burdened. look forward to that time, and do your best. (this can be done when there is no motivation to study as well, as a last resort).

5. believe in yourself. believe in your hardwork and/or your luck. because no prayer without true belief could be granted. if you yourself don't think you can do it, who on earth will?

be sincere with your wish and put in your maximum effort. what you sow is what you reap, and god helps he who helps himself.

6. and in continuation to the above, even if you have no idea on how to answer certain questions- never leave blank spaces unless there's a negative marking system. fight till the last second and answer the questions you didn't/couldn't at the very first glance. however be sure to answer ones you know correctly first.

so this is it... and above all, don't lose hope. if you've spent as much time and energy as i have, the universe will surely not let it all go to waste.