Another day was drawing to a close. I looked up from a thick pile of revision notes out of the window, to see the garden fence painted bright orange by the setting sun. Another day closer to the exam.
Exam time was always stressful, but also exciting in a strange way. One thing different about studying at university is the absence of high-school teachers chasing after you, demanding for homework with threats of detention. To the contrary, everything is left to your own accord. As if to emphasize the importance of self discipline, we get Swap Vacs – a whole week free of lessons before the exams – to prepare for ourselves before facing the final challenge.
I picked up my revisions notes and walked out onto the driveway. The suburban street was quiet and peaceful in the evening, each red-roofed house stood cosily behind a patch of green lawns, some decorated with rose bushes, some shaded by leafy trees. My feet carried me forward automatically, while my brain wandered from judicial review to procedural fairness, until, a few roundabouts later, I came to stop in front of the entrance to a large park.
Green lawns were rolling gently up and down the hills, a stone bridge stood arching across a dry creek. In the distant playground, a few swings were visible through the tree branches, their red plastic seats flying back and forth, the ringing laughter of young kids permeating the air.
I waited patiently while trying to read up on more Administrative Law notes, until the last swing was cleared off as a small boy left reluctantly with his parents. I then rushed forward, sat on the plastic seat, clutched onto the chains, and kicked hard off the ground. As the swing soured joyfully into the air and the wind ruffled my hair, I saw the dusky inky sky above me, patched with white fluffy clouds, rocking gently back and forward. Ah… I took a deep breath, the exam tomorrow suddenly didn’t seem too bad anymore.