Waiting for a reply can make even familiar questions feel unfamiliar.
When you get stuck on a question during an exam, you can spend so long on it that you run out of time to try the questions you know.
Scenes
- No reply makes exam worries grow — After the exam, I sent my answers to a friend, but they haven’t replied. Every time I check my screen, I think more about the exam.
- Time gets stuck on one hard question — As you reread a question you’re stuck on during an exam, you keep thinking about the questions still ahead. If you miss the moment to move on, even questions you know can start to feel unfamiliar.
- Even familiar questions won’t come into focus — When you’re tense, searching for an answer and choosing the next question can overlap. So sometimes you can’t immediately bring to mind what you know.
- Tonight, just read the first line — Choose one easy question in your workbook and try reading just the first line. Even if no answer comes to mind, you can notice where you get stuck.
- You can start again where you got stuck — Even when exam worries grow as you wait for a reply, you can look at the question that stumped you separately from the ones you can answer. I’ll look at that difference with you.
Stories by Saebyeok
- Saebyeok
- Before the first snow settles, I think of the rent first.
- I get nowhere, even when I study at a café.
- I write down my progress, but still don’t know how far I’ve come.
- Sunday night, and I still can’t see what comes next, even after counting all I’ve been through.
- After the funeral, I started reaching for cigarettes again.
- I reviewed it, but by Monday it feels unfamiliar again.
- Monday morning, and I feel like I’ll have to explain my time off again.
- After celebrating with someone, I start to doubt whether I want to try again.