Page 8 - 2021 English Magazine - Final

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Dear SPM candidates,
By now, I expect you would have heard of
me. If you haven’t, I would like to gently inquire
what hole you’ve been living in for the past year.
By now, I expect that you may feel searing hate, an-
ger, or perhaps annoyance upon hearing my name,
and I do not blame any of you for it – truly. I myself
have often been pondering the meaning of my exis-
tence, as well as my role in adding to your burdens
in these trying times.
For what it is worth, I am sorry.
My kind (by which I mean examinations)
has lived for a long time – much longer than any of
you. We have always been known as a very dysfunc-
tional family, existing in all shapes and sizes, made
to cater to all age groups, regardless of nationality.
You should see our family arguments – who’s the
trickiest, the most prestigious, the most challenging,
the most famous – just to name a few. Nevertheless,
we all agree on one thing, and one thing only: that
our existence is necessary.
Some may argue that it would be a boon to
add the word ‘evil’ behind ‘necessary’, but I digress.
We’ve always been needed, whether you like it or
not. It matters not whether you think we are bad,
8 9
Letter From SPM
only that you understand that the root of our exis- dation and restlessness. I know that my imminent
tence is to help you. All of you. I have always been
an ugly duckling in a household of swans, you see,
not the trickiest, nor the most famous. Nothing
but a tiny gear in the grand scheme of things. That
just goes to show that even the most insignificant
events can have a huge impact on some.
I am, of course, talking about you, my dear
SPM candidates. I’m sure you know the sense of
urgency and anticipation, the nervousness and ex-
hilaration that comes with an examination. It is a
chance to prove yourself, to show your worth, and
most of all, to understand yourself – academically,
at least. Some of you, I’m sure, had been looking
forward to my arrival for months, and yet, it had
been delayed time and time again.
I cannot take full responsibility for this fact,
as we have the pandemic to thank, but I feel that I
am at fault still – enough so that I am writing this
letter to apologize. I know I have
caused you pain, strife, and many sleepless nights.
I know I have caused you needless anxiety, trepi-
that only you can give an examination power over you.
My family and I – we are weak; we cannot exist without
you. You are the ones who control us, and you are the
ones who allow yourselves to be willed into submis-
sion.
Now that I have exposed one of the many family
secrets, let me offer you some encouragement. For the
lot of you born in 2003, I have already come and gone.
I am likely nothing but a mild irritant in your memories,
and for that, I am glad. Regardless of your results, it was
an honour to have known you, however short our time
together may have been. I hope that when your results
come by (which I believe will be soon, if they have not
already), you treat yourself with kindness and love, and
remind yourself that I do not have the power to define
who you are. You are worth more than a few letters on
a piece of paper, and you owe it to yourself to be more
than that.
As for those of you born in 2004 and 2005, I
look forward to seeing you, whether it be this year or
the next. I sincerely hope that my arrival will not be
marked by grief and sorrow, but with a quiet resilience
and determination. I am no match for you, children,
and I hope you can see that – remember that you are
stronger than me, and will always be. The strength you
need to overcome me, as well as the fears I present, is
arrival and swift departure would have been a buried deep within you, and I believe it will serve you
great relief to all of you, but as we all know, some- well when the time comes.
times, things don’t always go as planned.
With that, I wish all of you luck, and I promise
Children, I know that it has always been that I will (to the best of my abilities, which I admit are
customary to give yourself grief over examinations, limited) put in a good word for you with my family. I
especially one that is as significant to you as I am. I hope they will be forthcoming and kind enough to ease
understand that I must seem all-important to you up a little and make all of your lives a little more bear-
– a key that will unlock doors to your future, which able. Once again, best of luck, and, as always, sending
I am sure will be brilliant and bright. However, I do my love to all of you!
not wish to cause you further troubles, so I will ask
you this: why does one examination matter, when Yours truly,
you have so much more ahead of you? SPM.
My predecessors and seniors will have my
head for this, but let me tell you this: you may
think of the mighty examinations as a threat, as
a way to blackmail yourself into studying, but my
family has always maintained the belief that we
exist to challenge humans. We are an anthem to
your self-worth; a song to your belief that you are
stronger than you know; a hymn towards your
path of self-discovery. Remember, dear students,