Of Stress, Exams, and Me

I am so stressed at the moment, nothing is able to calm me down. I feel like a volcano which is going to explode any second now. So I decided to vent out on the blog. my pre-ISC are due 14 days from now, ...And the syllabus needless to say is humongous & I needless to say, haven't finished it. It is now that I see the glaring loop-holes of our education system  crystal clear, mocking me for falling prey to them. So much theory, so much theory, so much theory, I feel like I'm compiling an encyclopedia in my notes. There are so many concepts, so many finer aspects, so much to understand and learn that it has overwhelmed me right now. 
I have five subjects, out of which Political Science is my least favorite. I mean I love reading about American Congress and stuff but then don't ask me memorize it and reproduce it on my exam sheet. It stresses me out. I mean there is so much we all know which we don't write down but then we still know it na? It is still there in our memory. A few chapters to comprehend and mug up are okay, but then sooooo many? Really? What are we? Machines? or better, Microsoft Word? I am aware that writing long answers is a way of testing our understanding of the concepts and grasp of the subject but hello, there are other ways too, which are less stressful for students like multiple choice questions, weekly tests, practical application tests, etc, etc.
It is my fault also, I agree, I can't remember stuff for long; like I can remember them fairly long but not like very long. I have to read so many chapters that suppose I read chapter one today, by the time I read chapter 20 I will have forgotten the details of the first chapter. It is obviously common with everyone, but it at the moment frightens me.

What if I don't do well in my pre-boards? Some colleges check these marks for admission and, as if there are many seats for a 'general' student. SCs and STs get 50% seats, students of the state get 10% . Considering that there are 60 seats, 60% are already reserved, so I have to compete in the remaining 24 seats where students from all over the country are applying?! Not that I doubt my abilities or my getting into a good college but then it scares me. Other colleges take boards marks into consideration. What if I spoil it there? Then? What next?

And even though it'd be wiser if I stopped writing this post now and went off to study, I don't want to . SEE! That's the kind of pressure I am under -- every second I spend doing anything other than studying I feel Guilty. I feel defeated, like I am cheating my own self into a bad life. My friends say I stress too much but then there is simply no way I can stop it from happening it isn't like I tell myself "Let's start to stress and then I start. No no no. It just kicks in. They say stress is harmful for me but then isn't not studying, scoring low, not getting into the college I wish to, not being to prove myself both as a remarkable female and a human, ruining my life harmful too? My parents are thankfully the cooperative ones. They don't fret if I get low marks but then I fret. They are my marks na! How do I not? There's simply so much to study & learn.

 I feel better now. The magma is receding and the surrounding atmosphere is cooling down. And also when you read this don't take all my words very very seriously, I was stressed after all! ;)

How To Read Khaled Hosseini

Well isn't a set of hard and fast rules you need to follow in order to read Khaled Hosseini's books, this post might just help you read and understand him and his books better.

1. Khaled Hosseini books are ALWAYS an emotional roller-coaster:

 Be mentally prepared to face a lot of ups and downs in his books. There is a twist here, and then, a turn there. There are even dramatic revelations when you least expect them. Like in The Kite Runner the Truth about Hassan is so dramatic that it took me a while to put the story back together and join all the pieces together. There are moments of elation, even universal happiness if I may so, and within a few pages you might already start feeling sorry for that high you felt.

2.Try To Start Reading On a Weekend:


 This one might not apply for every reader, but it did for most of my friends. They started reading on a week day and they soon found themselves unable to work, play or concentrate on something else wholeheartedly. Their mind kept reeling back to the book, it's story, its characters and what would happen next. That is the Power of a Khaled Hosseini book, it's addictive and it has something for everyone. So try to begin reading when you have enough time to spare. It can be a weekend or a vacation or whenever you feel you'll be able to read the book at a stretch without neglecting your work or play.

3. Keep a Tissue Nearby:

  If you cry at the sad scenes in the movies or at despairing and sorrowful parts in books, it's better to keep a tissue handy. Khaled Hosseini's books are filled with Lilliputian details which might at times get the better of your emotions. and before you know it tears will be coursing down your cheeks. Also at times, the book will get you're adrenaline running, the tissue might help with the sweat too.

4.  Be Ready for Some Farsi and Urdu Words:


  Needless to mention there are word directly from Farsi and rarely even Urdu. they don't fill the entire text up, and it is not like you will not understand the book if you don't know their meaning. Mostly, Hosseini gives the meaning of the words in the context they are being said very soon after they've been used, sometimes it's the immediate next thing after the word. However, in order to get what I call The Feel of The Book, try to get the meanings of the words and find out under what circumstances they are usually used.

5. Let the Story Flow:


 Numerous themes are there in Hosseini books, all interwoven beautifully. Try your best not to abandon the book before it's over. The story might get slow at times but Do Not give up. Don't try to think of alternative tracks for the novel till you finish it, after all the writer put it all there after considerable thought. So, basically just let it Flow.