OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

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By Dr.Tasaduq Itoo

Way back to the year while I was in B.Sc first year in Degree College Anantnag. It was the examination aura all around as the date sheet was already out by University of Kashmir. It was English A (Grammar) Paper to begin with. Merely 10 days were left for first paper when I bought English guide from a book shop. There used to be a portion of ‘phonetics’ for English Grammar Paper. Only three days were left when I told my father about the upcoming paper. I had never heard about ‘phonetics’ till that date and I told my father that I want to learn it from some English subject teacher.
My father talked to his friend who used to teach the students phonetics s portion of English Grammar. When I went to that teacher and told him that I want to learn phonetics. The teacher replied with a smile “Ye govnaar wiz KeuherKhanun(in Kashmiri) , means “It is to dig a well at the time of fire “. “You just focus on that part of phonetics that you had already learned as the students are taking coaching classes since last six months”, the teacher added. I asked and compelled the teacher with my head down “please sir let me give a glimpse of what actually phonetics is”. The teacher again replied the same that he did earlier.
I acknowledged the teacher’s reply and left with a bit sadly mood, and was thinking what to do for that portion of Grammar as it accounts to much weightage of marks in English Paper A. As there was no material around me for “phonetics”, I really was now feeling deeply concerned. At the moment, I was searching for meaning of a word from Oxford English Dictionary and while I flipped through end pages, I found a section of phonetics there.Wao. I got immensely happy as this was a miracle that time while getting at least some material around. Now for time being I could feel confident enough to take the exam though without preparation till now.
Anyways, I went to some green open land and started learning that section of phonetics from Dictionary. Honestly speaking it just took me three hours to learn every aspect of phonetics (monothongs and Diphthongs) with examples and all. I put in my attention, concentration, zeal,enthusiasm, energy and confidence to my level best during this period. At the moment, I could feel now both competent and confident enough to take the exam.
On exam day something strange happened that I was unaware of leading me into a kind of trouble. While reaching to the centre – the man present on the examination hall door while checking my roll noslip said to me “You can’t enter to the examination hall as per the records, as you had not appeared in one of the practical examinations of college internal assessment”. “Just get that cleared from the Principal and then I would allow you to enter the examination hall”, the man added.
Now I got totally confused as I had never missed any practical internal assessment examination in any subject. “What is this happening yaar?”, I lamented to myself. While moving towards Principal office I could see almost 60 plus students having the same complaint. Some of them were weeping loudly about this ‘surprise of disgrace’. Anyways after approaching the Principal, he again blamed us for non-appearance in internal assessment examination. Now every student with the complaint got into emotional and mental unwell-being and were thinking what to do. After repeated requests, finally the Principal gave a nod to students to enter the examination hall and get the issue regarding internal assessment examination cleared next day. It was already 45 minutes late when we were allowed to enter the examination hall.
Now what to write, what to remind and what to perform in the paper as the mind was already emotionally ill-burdened because of that “surprise of disgrace”. It was almost 1 hour and 45 minutes left when I started attempting the paper. While attempting to the phonetics portion of the paper, I tried to make a picture of that open green land in mind where I learned this phonetics portion in just three hours. I could get examples from the set paper and tried to understand them with clarity synchronising them with that three-hour preparation before exercising the answer on answer book. Alhamdulillah I could attempt that portion of paper with much satisfaction.
While attempting the essay and letter portion of the paper, I could easily made through it and summarize it within shortest available time. Being enthusiastic in writing since childhood, I never felt any need of special preparation for this section of the paper. You can build an essay on your own in well -refined paragraphs based on your absolute or relative knowledge about the subject matter. Alhamdulillah everything gone well though time was limited (1 hour 45 minutes only). I handed over my answer book to concerned invigilator and left to home.
It was my next paper day after tomorrow but I had to visit college the next day to get the issue regarding internal assessment examination cleared. All students with the same complaint came to college the next day with a bit of fear and anxious mood. We roamed whole day to- and – fro to made it assure to the authorities of our time-bound appearance in internal assessment exams. Besides the concerned staff of all science stream departments were put to task. Finally, at the end of the day the Principal came out of the office with a big file in his right hand and we were made to sit in the lawns of a park just adjacent to the Principal Office. He called upon the names one by one and here we came to know that only 4 out of 65 students didn’t actually appeared in their internal exams in one subject or the other. Alhamdulillah I was safe as finally truth got revealed.
I reached home with a sort of tiredness and fatigue. It was my next paper exactly the next day and I was having only one night to get prepared for that. It was probably “Inorganic Chemistry” paper and I had to put a kind of struggle during that night to make it fully prepared. Alhamdulillah next day everything gone well in the exam Hall and I felt fairly satisfied with my performance.
Anyways the examination reached to an exit in a month or so and finally the results were declared approximately after 2 months. I passed it among good ranks in my college. When the marks sheets were issued, I could see the highest marks in English paper that too in English Paper A. Discovering for some days post-result, I came to know that I am the highest marks achiever in English in my area. Alhamdulillah.
Conclusion
From the above article, I would like to put some great lessons before my readers. First, you don’t have to lose hope till the last minute of your examination. Once you read qualitatively with concentration, zeal and passion for just a little bit of time, its outcome might be a miracle beyond your imagination. Second, don’t feel any kind of fear or surrender your efforts before any challenge. Think smartly, act boldly with deep courage and confidence. Third, don’t get distracted in anyway when somebody tries to let you turn down. Be positive and intellectualized. Fourth, you can reach to your goal in short period of time by reminding and acting upon a thought “A year of twelve weeks”. Whatever it takes to complete your preparation in an year, you can achieve that amount of preparation in just a period of twelve weeks. You have to be consistent, competent and confident. Fifth, try to find a study environment where you can put in your efforts to your level best.
(The author is Medico/Columnist /Educator at Unacademy. Email: [email protected])

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