An insidious, tiny little virus! Something that we all thought was a joke! And it has brought the world to its knees. Brings to my mind the famous last line from the poem “Death, The Leveller” by James Shirley which reads
“Sceptre and Crown must tumble down and in the dust be equal made!”
The roads outside are deserted. For the first time as I sit in my garden, the only sounds I hear are of birds chirping and leaves rustling- sounds that in this crazy busy world I had forgotten could sound so sweet. Perhaps, for all of us it is a time to sit back and take stock of what is most meaningful in life and learn to cherish them.
All important examinations have been cancelled and I can hear the seniors cheering! What could be more thrilling at this time than to know that you do not have to undergo the stress of the final A level or final B exam that had been looming ahead for weeks and striking dread in your hearts! Yes, lucky you, who have been spared the torture of the exam that was going decide your fates!
However, this is also the time for you to realise that now you can do all the learning you want without any pressure. Do not sit back at this time and say, “No exams! I don’t need to study now.” While exams were an incentive for you to sit with your nose to your books, now that has been taken away, you must use the opportunity to learn as much as you can as you prepare ahead for the future. All the learning you would have done anyhow will stand you in good stead at university. DO NOT drop the pace. Keep going as if your exams are still on but study without the pressure.
Many of you who have already applied to universities and have received conditional or unconditional offers may also be worried about what is going to happen. From all that I have heard back from my friends at different universities, everyone is aware of the challenging times we are all experiencing. Universities have no intention of ruining the future of the students who had so hopefully applied to them for admissions. They are going to be reviewing your applications sympathetically. They are going to make decisions based on your previous academic records, the passion that you portrayed in your essays or personal statements, the recommendations that you had sent in – in short, they will be looking more carefully once again at all the documents we had sent in earlier to help them come to a fair decision – one that they believe is right for them and for you.
My advice to all of you seniors at this time, therefore, is to keep the momentum going, keep studying, work hard and I am sure something good will come out of all this chaos. Till then, best of luck!
Your Career Counselor.
Geetha Swamy, Counsellor