scores, tests, and surprises

Phase Test V score: 232/489. It’s supposed to be a decent score, when the test is made at the level of IIT-JEE, and my parents seem more content than they usually are when scores come out, but I can’t seem to dispel this biting, searing feeling of regret. Jenny was right when he said test analysis was important. I could have scored at least 20 marks more, but because something came over me (my parents call it nervousness; I call it distraction), I somehow, inexplicably, interpreted those questions as ones I couldn’t answer – going by things as superficial as their lengths. At the start of the test, the advice all the teachers gave us started swimming around in my head, becoming a blur, a load of inarticulate sounds, and thoroughly confusing me. Each teacher has his or her own unique, apparently super-effective answering strategy and, apparently, trying to incorporate all of them at the same time is disastrous. I started off with math, since I had spent more time practicing math than the other two subjects, even though physics was my best subject. The math paper turned out to be harder than I had expected, and it affected my mindset. As a result, when I reached the physics section, I messed up or skipped questions that I could have done very easily and without additional preparation. Even in math, as it turns out, I should have considered using the methods taught in the previous chapters, instead of firmly relying on the ones taught in this phase alone. On the bright side – since this is all that’s left – I won’t make the same mistakes on the next test.

And, as far as I know, I haven’t made them on today’s test. Paper II, JEE style. It was surprisingly easy, considering I took the teachers’ suggestion of not studying for this test to heart. Obviously I would prefer to believe not everyone found it easy – and judging by the fact that some students, whom I previously believed to be good, were cheating, they didn’t – but one can’t be too sure about these things. I’d like to add that today’s test didn’t end with me developing a headache. Usually, by the end of the third hour, my eyes feel strained, and my head starts hurting. That didn’t happen today. Math went pretty well, as did physics. Chemistry was, as usual, chemistry – although it potentially went well, too. I suppose it had something to do with the fact that I felt unusually light today.

I have Nicky and Nikki to thank for that. It was a wonderful surprise. The card was wonderful – and no, I don’t mind the floral design – and so was the muffin. What the heck, even the singing. All of it was cool, great, awesome,… (Fill in the blanks in arithmetic progression.) So once again, thank you!