It's Over...for now

Hi everyone, it's been quite siong these few weeks given the intense preparation for the exams. For those whose exams have ended, enjoy! For those who still have papers to go...give your last burst! It's gonna be over.

I've been thinking on the bus this morning on my way to school for my last paper: Why are we studying so hard?For those who are still in school now, what are we studying for? For those who are not studying/working, what do u think you have studied for? Is it for a cushy middle-class job in the future? A comfortable life? Making lots of $$$?

I remembered the scenario of the revision week in school: students camping in tutorial rooms to mug, rubbish bins with overflowing trash of food and drink cans and possibly any type of food you can think of (consumed in the midst of mugging) and the general feeling of anxiety and fear. It seems as though we have become machines churning out stuff and everyone seems to aim for that "A" grade. Are grades a true assessment of who we are? Why the obsession with doing well? Competition has its benefits but doing well at all costs is no good.

Sometimes I think this drive to do well, to be competitive etc is so compulsive and excessive that we need to take a step back to reflect. Personally I enjoy learning in the earlier part of the semester, with lectures and tutorials, having interesting discussions with tutors and lecturers and really gaining new perspectives about many issues and events that I never had before. But I dread the stressful periods of exams where so much of what you had learned is cramped, judged and determined by a measly 2hr paper...

Yup here are some of my post-exam thoughts...maybe you all could share yours too?

Dean