Taking the Boards

*Note: Another late post, written on the 3rd of July, 2012

Two weeks after graduation marked the start of our review for the board exam. For the first month, we spent everyday cramming 4 years’ worth of lectures into our heads. The second month of our review involved undergoing house arrest with 20 of my friends and 3 of our mentors. Each day consisted of at least 3 practice exams per day with rationalization.

It was two months’ worth of an everyday of complete mental exhaustion.

But it had been worth every second.

House arrest had been quite an enlightening experience. Not counting in the mental exhaustion, living in a house with 22 other people with only one bathroom was already a challenge all on its own. It had been the first time I lived away from my family for that span of time. I missed my own bed, my own bathroom, I missed my own room, I missed my laptop, I missed my books, I missed our house, I missed my family.

But every day in that house proved to be interesting. Everyday had been a laughable chaos. It was the Hunger Games: It was a fight for your own bathroom time before all the water runs out; it had been a fight for the best partition of food and it was a race for the best sleeping arrangements. But then again, not a day would go by without laughter. Every other moment was hilarious and unpredictable. There are the midnight food trips, the late night conversations and even the occasional trips to the night market. On certain days, we’d even go out to the parks, dine out, see the sights and stuff just to alleviate the stress.

It had been fun. It was enough to make me forget about the constant strain of the board exams on my sanity.

On June 30, 2012, I entered the campus on which I would take my board exam. It had been nerve wracking and difficult. I had three exams that day. I couldn’t get myself to eat anything that morning, just a few bites of chocolate and water. At the end of the day, it was only then that I realized that I was starving. The next day hadn't been any better. It was still as nerve wracking as the first. It was difficult. But the moment I passed that last piece of paper and strode out that room, I wanted nothing more to scream.

It was like a huge weight was removed from my chest and I could laugh heartily to my heart’s content.

Finally.

But then, I realized...

Now, I have two months to wait for the actual result.

Oh. Fuck.