Exam Fever: The Joy, The Panic, and The Paper Planes

I remembered those old days when I used to prepare for exams. Because I recently appeared for one. I know I owe you an apology for being absent from Nostalgic Tales for a while — so please accept it!

First Exam Was a Terrible Experience

In Nursery, exams were mostly oral. We might have written some letters, words, and numbers, but that was it. Even in KG, we answered questions directly on the paper.

So when I appeared for my first real exam in Standard I, I wrote all my answers right on the question paper itself. I still don’t know where I missed the instructions, and I’m not sure how the invigilators didn’t catch it sooner.

Time was almost up when my uncle — who was on exam duty — came down my row to collect copies. Seeing me handing over the question paper, he froze, torn between panic and disbelief. He asked me to copy everything down on the answer sheet, and I started copying my answers at lightning speed. I’m not sure I finished, but it was enough to pass.

That first exam was such a terrible experience that I grew up dreading exams. So much so that I didn’t appear for any competitive exam after college until UGC NET in 2021 — where I missed qualifying by just 2 marks. I finally cleared it for Assistant Professor on my second attempt in December 2024.

Irritating People During Exams

We’ve all found some people irritating during exams, haven’t we? Sometimes they’re friends; sometimes they’re the ones who shake your whole desk every time they write.

In Standard II, a classmate would come to me during tests, begging me to write answers for her. She’d even cry if I didn’t. But I was a slow writer myself, barely finishing my own paper — and besides, I never liked cheating.

During my graduation, the poetry paper included a question on the epitaph from Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. It felt so boring and tough to memorize. A friend asked if I’d prepared it. I hadn’t.
“Toh chutka laaye ho?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“Arey bewakoof!” he exclaimed, and slipped me a chit. I held it without even looking.

First time in graduation, I remember, the panic of realizing we had to answer just five questions — but there were so many books! I was convinced it was impossible until the first paper finally calmed my nerves.

The Joy After Exams

No matter how stressful the lead-up was, enormous joy always followed once the exams were over.

I was never a studious student. I always prepared at the last hour and tried to strategize which chapters to study based on what I liked or understood best. Completing the syllabus? Never happened. God must have a short memory to forget all the promises I made — “Next time I’ll start early if I pass this time!” Or maybe He’s just kind.

I only started working hard after graduation — der aaye, durust aaye!

The Little Things That Made Exams Special

There was something special in the air during exams: lighter school bags, early chutti, new pencils, sharpeners, clipboards, and that extra attention at home. But I always felt unlucky to get a seat next to girls every time — as a shy guy, it made me so uncomfortable. In all those years, I only remember sitting with boys on four occasions.

Discussing answers outside the exam hall was a ritual. I mostly listened while some classmates oozed confidence and others cried over what they missed. When I was small, I heard seniors brag, “Arey, ye paper toh aankh band karke likhenge.” I remember practicing my easiest subject with eyes closed, wondering how easy it must be for them.

The last day of exams was the best. Kids would tear their notebooks into bits and throw the pieces out of the school bus windows. I tried it only once — my parents were very strict.

Since our school year ran January to December, the end of final term meant a magical winter holiday: Christmas, New Year and moving up to a new class.

What about you? Did you have a funny or terrible exam experience? Share it in the comments! Let’s relive those days together.