Test After-effect

First Version

Kairos / Audience – I mainly tell this story to myself when I am feeling down or depressed because of school, work, or just life in general. It helps me see that things will soon lighten up, and that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel.

I walked out of my Child Development test in the testing center and saw may grade up on the screen. I instantly felt my heart sink when I viewed my grade: 48%. Remembering that I have studied for days and hours on end for this test, I couldn’t see why I received the grade that I did. I thought that I knew the terms and concepts that we needed to know for the test, but I guess I didn’t know them as well as I thought. Either that, or I put the wrong information on the study guide.

I went home and called my mom, not crying into the phone, but venting.

“Mom, I failed this test!” I wailed. “I studied for hours each day before it, and I still failed!”

“It’s just one test,” she replied in her usual comforting tone.

“Yeah, but there’ll be another one, and I’ll fail that test, too. I’m horrible at taking tests.”

“Amanda, just put it behind you, and just move on with life.”

That was one of her favorite phrases: “Just move on with life.” I didn’t tell her that her words were not all that reassuring, but I later thought about them, and realized that she was right. Mom has always had the gift of seeing the good in things, and I should do the same. The week went on normally, with my normal classes and church activities. Life was good. Failing a test is not the end of the world, and life surely does go on.

[256 words]

Second Version

Comforting My Roommate

Walking home from the day after taking my Child Development test, my heart felt heavy. I studied so hard for that test, a few hours each day, but I still failed with a 48% [cause and effect]. I guess it wasn’t the end of the world, and I still had the opportunity to raise my grade. I remember the statement made by my seminary teacher Brother Heath when he quoted an apostle, whose name I don’t remember: “I can do hard things” [authorities].

While walking down the long staircase on the west part of campus, I spotted my roommate walking up towards me, her head down.

“Hey, Karin,” I said, and she looked up, startled. I noticed that her eyes were as red as her sports jacket [simile]. Something was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, concerned.

“Yeah…” she stated wearily, and then became silent.

I waited for her to explain further. She wasn’t saying that anything was wrong, but something most definitely was [ellipsis].

“I failed my chemistry test horribly,” she confessed, and her eyes started to water. “I’ll be lucky if I pass that cursed chemistry class [alliteration] now.”

The wind started to blow as we both stood there. I thought of what I could say. “I just failed one of my tests as well, and I thought about how that really isn’t the end. As long as we put our trust in God, He will definitely help us through any trial [supernatural], especially the distress of failing a test.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I needed that. And thanks for talking. While walking to campus, the silence was getting pretty noisy” [oxymoron].

“No problem. See you at home!” I smiled and waved, and we went our separate ways.

[279 words]