NYAC | 3min Read
Published on May 14, 2026
The exam that never ends
The exam that never ends
I jolted up from my bed, sweat trickling down my forehead. A sudden realization hit me, I have my
science final today, and I don’t feel prepared even though I studied well! I got ready as usual and
went downstairs to get breakfast. After finishing my studying-while-eating ritual, I left for school, my
lucky keychain jingling.
I reached school and checked the timetable. ‘Physics final is from 9am-12pm’! I dashed into the room
where I have to take the final and saw everyone settled in, I checked my watch and I was EXACTLY on
time. I took a deep breath, found a seat, and was given my paper.
All went well, and by 10:30 am, I finished my paper. I looked at my watch again after zoning out.
10:32 -no-10:33, but I noticed that the minute hand of the watch wobbled a bit, unusual for my
brand-new watch, but I paid no attention to that incident, because the bell rang, 1 hour and 27
minutes early… When I was about to raise my hand to ask the teacher why, the lights flickered.
POOF! In an instant I was standing at the door again. I checked the time, it was 9am on the dot. But
that couldn’t have been possible! That would have to mean that time looped somehow! “Maybe that
was just a dream or something” I told myself.
I sat down as the exam started. I looked at the question paper, and it was the same. I looked around,
the same girl was nervously biting her nails, the same boy running his hand through his hair
repeatedly, while another girl tapping her foot. I put in the same answers, and I finished at the same
time, exactly 10:33, the lights flickered again and I found myself standing outside.
I sat down once again and noticed that the questions were different this time, before it was just
questions like, “solve this”, or “define this concept”. But this time it was questions like “Why do you
need to be the best?”, and “What happens if you aren’t?”. The new questions pierced through my
heart because I knew the correct answers, but they didn’t feel true to me deep down. I wrote down
my achievements and how my ‘amazing’ company pushes me to get better, when it was far from the
truth, assuming that they might use this for our college applications.
I thought this was a prank, so, on the fourth loop I stepped outside the classroom, took a walk and
came to class later. Sadly, everyone looked to be doing the same things as before. I stared around the
room, still finding nothing. I got my paper and noticed the questions were phrased similarly to the
previous one.
This time I wrote the truth:Why do you need to be the best? Because of societies expectations to outdo everyone in academics,
but I play an important part in this, reinforcing their behaviour, but how I impact people is what
matters.
What happens if you aren’t? I feel like a failure, even though my humanity or my ability to do good in
other things can’t be measured through grades.
I wrote about the times I helped others learn. About choosing helping over winning. About realizing
value doesn’t come from being ahead, but from pulling someone else forward.
The bell rang at the right time, 12 pm.
The exam ended.
This time, everyone stood up, and I realized my worth was not attached to my grades but my actions,
finally!
