Different Question Papers
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I have given many exams, either as a student or as an aspirant, in my life. One thing that I learned from it is that I lost fear of facing them because I followed certain principles and stuck to them till the end.
From an early age, I’ve never lived to impress anyone. So,
that never put any pressure on me to go against my principles, which always
carried honesty. Think of it as a hereditary trait.
I have always stood against any form of cheating, even if it
meant failing in the exam. There had been many instances, especially during
midterms during my college days, when almost the entire class would copy and
score a decent score when I would struggle to reach that score. All of us knew
that we lacked guidance and resources to learn that subject, but I believed
that if I put effort into understanding the subject, I could score well.
A poorly performed answer sheet of mine didn’t make me sad,
for two reasons. First, I wanted to evaluate my understanding of that subject,
which could help me improve. Second, it showed my honesty and level of
preparation.
I knew that if I went for shortcuts like copying or resorting
to illegal means to score, I might altogether lose the ability to learn. That’s
the reason why I could appear for some competitive exams and cleared some
rounds, while many of my friends, who relied on scoring through cheating,
didn’t dare to even sit for those exams.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint, and shortcuts are like easy
choices, like cheap dopamines offered to us in the form of distractions by
social media.
Copying during an exam was possible when the question paper
was the same, but what about the biggest exam called life, where all of us have
been given entirely different question papers? Even your sibling has a
different question paper from yours.
Each question paper is unique, and the circumstances that we
face in our lives are the questions to be attempted. How we react to those
circumstances is our response or answer to the questions.
Here’s an analogy that my mind has found:
Exam → Life
Questions Paper → Challenges
Questions → Circumstances
Answers → Reactions
Where the result of this exam is decided by the teacher, the
one who has designed this question paper. He/She must be higher in the
hierarchy of knowledge or experience than us; that’s what makes him/her
eligible to set the question paper.
Unlike the exam of college exams, the one who cheats fails in
this exam because he is unaware of the fact that everyone’s question paper is
different.
The level of difficulty of the questions is the same for
everyone, but it appears to be difficult or easy to others based on their
perception.
Many people think that their life has been full of
difficulties or challenges, while others’ pains are manageable for them, but
they’re completely unaware of the silent battles that everyone is fighting each
day.
While comparing their lives with others, people think that
others are in a better position than they are, but while comparing the pain,
it’s the opposite thinking; they think they’ve endured more pain in their lives
than others.
Let’s talk about the reality. There’s no one whose life is
devoid of challenges. All of us have challenges in our lives, and they might
not be the same for everyone. One might face financial problems, while others
might be unlucky in terms of getting favorable outcomes, and the third person
might be dealing with some health issues. Imagine the level of comfort that you
can offer to others by showing a bit of empathy instead of thinking that you
have won greater battles in your life than they!
The level of difficulty of challenges that one faces in their
life increases with age and experience. She/he grows through these difficulties
and finds a coping mechanism in the process of facing them.
Comparison is the thief of joy — Theodore Roosevelt
The only comparison that can lead us anywhere is comparing
with yesterday’s self.
We should ask ourselves, “Am I better than yesterday?” If the
answer comes out in affirmation, then you’re on the right track.
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Reserved!
Swati Sarangi,
23.09.2025
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