In the confines of the squareness of my room, I find myself deeply agitated with the fact that I need to swallow 50 pages of History in under two hours... My eyes are twitching at a single paragraph... That’s not good. So I throw the pen aside hoping that I didn’t somehow spoil it, as happens with these silly G1 pens too often, and run outside to go get myself something to divert my attention away from books for just a while... And I return with a whole tub of Macadamia Nut, courtesy of Häagen-Dazs. Yes, I am perfectly capable of devouring that at 10.30 in the night, thanks.
Spoon after spoon of the rich, velvety-smooth ice cream vanishes down my throat and I’m semi-sitting, semi-spinning on my chair, wondering what I should be typing out for my article. And no, I did not decide to base my article on rich, velvety-smooth ice cream vanishing down my throat (surprisingly), but rather, something more domestic to us, as Cempakans.

Exams. Whoop-de-doo.

Not just exams in general though, rather, the more intriguing aspect of examinations and/or tests. The aspect which sort of revolves around the behaviour and demeanour of our classmates during post-examination season. The way they take their results and react towards it, from my point of view, undoubtedly.

First of all, as obvious as it gets, the 'Over-Achievers'. This rare species of humanity tend to lurk in obscenely small numbers in each division of our community, generating animosity and discontentment amongst our ranks (exaggeration). Basically, they never fail to top the class in almost all (if not all) subjects and always give us a slap in the face when we see those red marks on our papers and not theirs. They’re the cream of the crop, and you find that sometimes you keep your distance from them when it comes to most things related to studies (unless they’re super nice and friendly, or, you guys are close).

Secondly, the next best thing, those guys who do well enough to stay up there, but are just lacklustre of a few herbs and spices. Let’s call them the ‘Upper-up Clansmen’ (don’t ask). Most of their subjects are sound and they have their strong ones, but fall short of the much sought for satisfaction. They’re the guys you normally go to for help first, smart enough to almost always get the answer right, and nice enough not to give you that knowing look of disapproval afterwards, but just a friendly pat on the shoulder. Once in a while you see them hit the top, but they hardly have enough stamina to go the whole 400.

Thirdly, the people who you look at with sympathy crowning your face when they receive their grades. They’re the guys who have all that potential, but for some reason or another, fail to get any grade close to the standard. These guys are the ‘Under-Achievers’. They’re not anywhere close to incompetent, in fact, they’re all insanely bright and can actively dish out the goods when they strive for it. Mediocrity is the bane of said studying life, constantly jabbing their sides. These group of people however, adopt the impression that they are useless and not good enough for everybody else. They bash themselves when it comes to studies and are enormously pressured to do well, not just by teachers and friends, but more by themselves. Self-consciousness gets the better of them, like how some of us think we’re obese (reference: FAT), when in fact it just causes mental degradation. They are the humble ones and they dislike talking about studies to anybody save parents or teachers (only because they have to). The truth is, they’re no different from the rest, and with a small push (read: moral support), they can make the cut. Rightfully so, too...

Last but not least, the ‘Jokers’. I’m sure all of you saw this coming. They’re the guys you see running around class tossing pencil boxes around shouting “Here, Here!” and are the best at keeping two-faces (in a good way) in front of... uhh... t-t-t-temptations? Oh god, that was lame... Some of them pose under the guise of innocence, with the imaginary halo, and most of them are just outright horrendous (and very vocal too). Whichever the case, they’re both going to unclip your smartcard and leave it somewhere inconspicuous and watch you panic, they’re both going to somehow use the finished correction tape refill to hook around the loop in your pants meant for the belt and proceed to tie it around the big stools in the Physics lab, and then watch you drag it all around class and proceed to laugh hysterically at you... Oh... that was a little too descriptive... When they get back their grades, they pick up the paper, stare at the two digits and turn back around to talk about which place serves the best Roti Kosong. For future reference, it’s normally the one with the many layers and the just right crispy-crunchy top, filled with tons of hot steamy air inside which lets loose when you make the first bite. A lethal combination is made when these people are classed together as ‘Over-Achievers’. Not very sightly for the rest of us.

Bear in mind, though, that these opinions are highly general and don’t follow your case to detail. In any situation, I’ve extended this article’s limits by around... 750 words? Sorry Rachel. Hope you guys had a fun read! See you in school.