THE BRILLIANT STUDENT THAT HATES EXAMS
Hello Jarus,
I’m here for your advice.
Since I started studying Law, I’ve been an average student.. 60s at most yet, not bragging though, I bring more innovative solutions (practical and entrepreneurial) than ALL the “bright students”.
I just hate the pressure of exams. What can I do?
Tim
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Dear Tim,
Your case is very common. I know hundreds of people like that. People that are brilliant in solving issues, but don’t do well in exams.
This also borders on the age long debate on the appropriateness of exams/certificates as brilliance judging criterion.
Knowing you personally, I know you’re brilliant. And scoring 60s (Bs) in exams doesn’t contradict the brilliance. It would have only been a surprise if you were failing exams. A student that scores an average of 60 in exams is also a brilliant student.
But I get your feelings – you think the guys that score 90s are not better than you. I agree.
Some people are exam specialists. They smash exams. Taking exams is an art itself. I have said that several times, in several articles.
Unfortunately, the fact that you both were taught in class and prepared for same exams, and they outdid you – and this happening consistently – means they have something you don’t have. That is an edge by all standards. You cannot take that away from them.
But it doesn’t negate your brilliance – in other areas (practical) which you THINK you have in greater abundance than they do.
Unfortunately, again, you’re studying Law not entrepreneurship, not technology. If they are dumb in those areas, it doesn’t make less brilliant in Law (the academic part) which both of you are studying.
And the fortunate part: Practical trumps theory. If you are good in the practical, street-wisdom part, you stand a higher chance of succeeding, post-school, than the “bright students” that are weak in that aspect.
But be careful, a bad grade may stall your post-school career success. You may not get the chance to show your brilliant (practical) part if your grade is very bad. Another area you need to be careful: I hope it’s not just an ego issue.
Fortunately, again, you’re studying Law, where practical doubly matters. Fashola had 2.2 from UNIBEN. He ended up to be the first among his classmates to become a SAN. No one would have disputed Fashola’s brilliance in his class, but he wasn’t an exams person.
Now, what can you do?
Averaging 60 per course isn’t bad. That should get you a 2.1.
To relieve yourself of exam pressure, work on your psychology: try to compete with the “bright guys”, if only to prove a point that you’re as good as or better than them! In other words, convert the belief into practical too, not just an ego matter. This worked for me in my Further Math turnaround shortly before and shortly after secondary school. I just woke up one day and realized that guys that I did better than in Math in GCE (and SSCE) scored above 50% in dreaded Further Math (which I never did). That spurred me to believing I can also do well in it. Same with ICAN exams. I used to hate Accounting in general but just realized one day that if classmates that were probably only a little better than I was (and that’s being humble!) did and passed it, why can’t I? I worked on my mentality and also got it.
Apply this formula: If I could be better than them in practical, I can be in exams too.
I wish you all the best.
Jarus
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nice response….