Result day was a couple of weeks away, but, surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous the way I had been the year before. In fact, as the day inched closer, I was becoming more euphoric and optimistic.

I had worked extremely hard, solving a staggering number of past papers and sacrificing my sleep. I was certain I’d get an impressive result.

However, the day before the results, my mother appeared sombre and distressed, lost in her own thoughts. I asked her why she seemed so down.

“What if you get a B? What if you get a C?” she succinctly replied.

I was shocked by her response and embraced her. That was when I actually began to doubt myself. Numerous possibilities started forming in my head.

“What if she’s right? What if I fumbled?”

I used to make plenty of silly mistakes in maths, and I greatly struggled with computer science. It was a subject I absolutely despised and never understood the algorithms or programming, but, with the help of my friends, I was able to build a reasonable level of preparation.

In the English exam, I exceeded the word limit by a substantial margin and mentioned the main phrase after exceeding the limit as well.

All of this began adding to my anxiety, and the sole solution at that point was to make numerous prayers to God, as only He has the power to alter destinies. My father asked me for an honest answer about how I felt about my result. I told him that I had doubts about computer science and English, but the rest of the papers had been all good.

My parents had always cultivated assertiveness in me, ensuring I didn’t adopt a timid approach.

On the day of the results, I woke up early and prayed to God. These results were going to determine my scholarship in college, and I had absolute faith in God that He would not allow my efforts to go in vain.

Someone sent me the grade thresholds, and seeing the English threshold cheered me up. It was low compared to what I had expected, igniting hope within me. In contrast, even though the exam was comparatively easy, the computer science grade threshold was unexpectedly high, which dampened my hopes of getting a decent grade in computer science.

Moving on, our school was releasing the results a couple of hours after the standard time of 10 a.m. My mother and I waited as we anticipated our cousins’ results. I kept pacing around the room, counting down the minutes in hopes of hearing a notification beep.

Suddenly, one of my cousins sent a message and we were stunned by her result. It was phenomenal, especially as she was a couple of years younger. We were extremely proud of her achievement. My other cousin wasn’t able to achieve a result like hers; however, he wasn’t dismayed as he had already had low expectations. Regardless, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. He, on the other hand, possesses vital soft skills which are just as important in today’s day and age.

Anyway, unease settled in my chest. I tried to remain optimistic about my result, but the uncertainty within me gave birth to several doubts. I decided to take my mind off it and started working on my laptop.

Suddenly, the phone cleared its throat with a buzz. My friends were suggesting that we come to school a bit early so we could play basketball. I considered it for a moment and, after taking permission from Mum, I went to school.

As I fixed my eyes on the basketball court, watching my juniors dribble the ball, I was gripped by a sense of nostalgia. Memories of the past decade came rushing back. I greeted my friends and juniors and chatted about college life. I met some of my old teachers, who wished me good luck, and all of us eagerly waited outside the auditorium until we were called in for our results.

The door creaked open, my juniors rushed inside and the principal greeted all of us. She gave an introductory speech, giving an overview of the impressive results and how the girls had achieved sensational grades. Names of students were being called one by one, and they were being handed envelopes with their results inside.

Suddenly, my name was announced. I walked up to the principal with a faint smile playing on my lips. Just as she was about to announce my results, I stretched my neck to get a peek. A brief sense of dismay flashed through me, followed by sheer thrill and utter shock. The entire room erupted in applause as I strolled back to my seat.

Some of my friends weren’t able to obtain the grades they desired, and I made an effort not to let them get disheartened. My teachers and peers congratulated me, but deep down, I was slightly upset about computer science.

As I sat in the car, my father called, asking for my result. He was jubilant, and it felt great knowing he was proud. My phone was flooded with similar messages. Then we picked my brother up from school, and the first thing he did was ask for my result. When I showed him the result sheet, even he let out a shrill cry of excitement.

When we reached home, my mother seemed more anxious than I was. She looked at me with questions in her eyes; I, in a sombre manner, handed over the envelope. She lifted the paper out of it and began beaming from ear to ear.

However, I told her how I was marginally unhappy with computer science. She comforted me by reminding me of my struggles and that even the grade I had achieved was unprecedented just a couple of months earlier.

There is no doubt that throughout the preparation process, my friend assisted me, while one of my cousins kept lifting my spirits whenever I felt discouraged. However, there was also something within me that kept the spark alive, and I truly believe it was the mercy of God. Therefore, when I think about that journey, I feel content with the grade I have achieved.

To sum it up, there may be numerous individuals who feel utterly demoralised by their academic performance or by any other difficult situation in life. But do not lose faith in your abilities. Keep working hard, stay positive and do not let the negativity around you weaken your determination. There will be moments when you feel like giving up, but those are the moments when you need to remind yourself of how far you have already come.

Believe in yourself, keep moving forward and trust that your efforts will eventually bear fruit.

Published in Dawn, Young World, October 10th, 2026