Mock Exams, Round 2
#27 - it takes time.
Hi there,
They’re back again, new and improved and, guess what, they take half the time! Upon government orders, schools are holding a second set of mock exams, to prepare us for our real GCSE exams and, when they were announced, to allow teachers to make better assessments of our progress should exams be cancelled.
Now with the threat of COVID wrecking havoc, the 3rd time lucky charm may just come true (I’m paying particular care not to jinx it!). And so these mocks arrive at our doorstep. It’s slightly taken over school life and exam preparation, becoming an ‘all hands on deck’ situation as I’d expected it to. They don’t feel as bad or as important as the bigger brother November mocks were. Whilst some might say they are hindering their revision for the summer exams, I’d argue they are a good chance to refine exam technique whilst being more of an indicator of where we are, progress-wise, and what needs to be focused on, in the 6 weeks after (gulp).
Before we let through the Ray of Sunlight, something we’ve been enjoying in plentiful this week in the West Midlands, I forgot to mention last time the
inspiration for the post, a reflection on my part. We were in this position, as indicated by the photo below, a dozen steps away from the zebra crossing when the signal struck red. Walking up the road with Dan, a fellow reader, I had a spark to chase after the crossing, 2 instruments in hand. But I just kept walking. I then said to him when we ended up waiting for the next red light, “You know, Year 8 Adi (I’m now in Y11) would’ve run up to the crossing to get there in time. But I’ve now learned that life isn’t worth rushing for” 😎
Highlight of the week: getting a mention in assembly for my effort in English. Not a subject I’ve always loved and there have been points of dread and begrudging. Therefore it was nice to see the effort being put in being recognised.
A short insight this week. The idea that anything worthwhile and valuable takes time. This could be a skill, working hard for a goal, anything. It merits a price because of its value.
As we’ve explored before, time is a currency of sorts. So, if it’s worth so much, in time, energy, attention or money, it must have a high price need paying.
Of course, you’re wondering where I got this completely original and unheard-of idea from - this morning, Mum was proudly taking me through all the plants she’d potted in the past week, taking advantage of the turn of weather. She then told me about her struggles, frustrations and confusions in setting up a greenhouse, stopping animals and insects from eating away at her so-called children (she really does think that) and choosing where to position her plants.
I advised her that whilst it’s great to try and get it spot on, she’s going to be in this house for at least another 8 years. So, she has the time to experiment, try out new things before finding the optimal conditions and methods to yield the best outcome.
I also felt this when my eyeballs were repeatedly scanning my hefty to-do list this weekend, dying for something simple and quick to accomplish, for a hit of the pleasure of completion and achievement. Sadly, the situation I find myself doens’t allow this and so I had to suck it up, shut up and do something that required a lot of time investment but will all be worth it in the end
For a lot of things in life, it takes time, consistency, effort and dedication. It’s therefore the right thing to keep going, keep trying… and failing. After all,
That can be our quote for the week. As for its buddies:
Book of the week 📖
Progress = zilch, for apparent reasons.
Podcast of the week🎙️
The clickbait is redeemed. Simply outstanding, an amazing mind complemented by a knowledgeable host in Tom.
Article of the week📰
The Pilot, The Plane and The Engineer
A useful frame of mind about productivity and managing tasks. I very much subscribe to the idea of plotting out the route, with exact precision but probably need to do a bit more work with engineering.
Quite a few ideas, subtopics and life lesson ideas bunched together into 1 post. Maybe a reflection of my mind right now…hoping for more clarity for you and for me, in less than 24 hours’ time (!),
Adi