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archives: june 2011
reality...
archives: june 2011
exams, exams, exams
by dan wilton
Exams. Complacency, followed by disorganisation, panic, dread, fear, stress, disorganisation again, boredom, panic, dread fear and stress again, some more boredom for good luck...
I hate exams.
What I hate even more is how they clump exams together like lumps of chewing gum on the bottom of your favourite trainers. Before you know it, you’ve got hours of revision to do and life seems to take a pretty dire turn. Your social life dies in a pool of ink and your self esteem is buried under a mountain of text books. Having time for yourself is a pretty hard task, having time for God can seem impossible.
I’m finding myself in such a position at the moment and it’s hard not to just give God the cursory glance that seems like a miserable little offering and be content with that. My time appears to be being drained down the plug hole of despair and I’m really, really not happy with that.
I suppose I’d better lighten the mood...
Firstly, it’s worth remembering that exams are not the most important things in the world (although your teachers may disagree!). Exams shouldn’t be let to spiral out of perspective, however, that’s not an excuse not to do revision! Although Ecclesiastes 3 doesn’t specifically mention exams, I’m sure that there’s a time to do exams and that it is true to the will of God. Try hard, do your best, but don’t make them your all. Life is too precious for that.
Secondly, managing your time is hugely important during the exam period. God should be right at the centre of everything you do and that means that your time must be managed as such. We must find that careful juggling act and often, if we give more time to God, we have more time overall for everything else. If you give time to the pursuit of giving glory to Jesus, you find a peace that surpasses your understanding. This peace drives out your stress and that gives time to do what you need to do. Keep your priorities right and you can’t go far wrong; you may not get the results you wished for, but you’ll feel a lot better.
If you find that your results aren’t great, having a good sense of perspective is essential. As mentioned above, exams are not your life! God has a plan for you which goes far beyond exams. If your results aren’t quite as good as expected, required or wanted, pick yourself up and carry on. Life throws things at us occasionally that we all dislike; knowing how to continue is what makes us stronger as people and stronger as Christians.
Ultimately, exams are stressful, but they shouldn’t take over your life. They’re important and deserve your time and effort but they’re nothing compared to God. They’re a blip on the eternal scale and that means you shouldn’t stress over them too much. Give God the time He deserves - your whole life. Give exams the cursory glance: the revision they need but not the worrying that you don’t!
I suppose I’d better go and revise then...and for that matter, so should you! Oi! Stop reading articles and get on with your work...
About the author
Dan is 17, likes cricket, photography and God! He plays the clarinet and is currently studying at College. He's from Eastleigh (near Southampton), and if you like his article, you can read more of his thoughts at his blog:
the diary of a teenage christian...
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