Best of luck to my fellow KCSE candidates battling exam fever

The national exams are here. Tension’s in the air! As I head to class, I feel overwhelmed with the loads of books I have to read within the few days left.

Covid-19 negatively affected our studies and we are trying our best to achieve our dreams of excelling in the KCSE exams.

I feel like I have not done enough. I wish I had some way of stocking knowledge at the back of my brain. KCSE results literally determine your future. 

And as I go about my business, the thought that “there is someone somewhere who is not as intelligent as you are but will live a better life than you, not because they are lucky, but just because they put in more effort than you did” won’t let me be.

Some of our colleagues have already sat their first tests — the practicals — and know the ‘smell’ of those papers. But for the rest us, everyone is anxious and afraid of the unknown.

I have put in quite a lot of effort, but will it pay off? Will I be able to see myself in the place I want to be? These are the silent questions racing through the minds of many candidates.

At Mama Ngina High, the students around me are not helping. They have all sunk their heads in books. You should hear them narrate the characters in the set books! I feel so intimidated by their hard work. But I guess I know what to do. For the next few days, I will succeed. 

A simple question will be my driving tool: What did you do today to move forward? 

In times like this, it helps to remember that there have always been times like this. Yes, and we triumphed. 

I hope that, for the few remaining days, my fellow students and I will just understand that if we do not make use of the remaining time, we will end up asking: How did it get late so soon? How did the night fall even before noon?

It’s never too late to be what you want to be. All you need to do is take that last breath in you and finish strong. Remember, the world never remembers runners-up. Good luck mates!

Daisy Achieng Ooko, the school captain at Mama Ngina Girls', Mombasa, is vice chairperson, National Students' Council.

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