An Educator’s Note on Exams
Enough has been said about how to study, revise, memorize, and practice papers before the board exams. As an educator, I don’t wish to add to the bulk of articles written on stress and time management. For someone who has gone through the grind, and is now on the other side of the curve, I want the students to watch some good stuff, before they prostrate themselves at the feet of the exam God.
Forget textbooks, grab popcorn!
Students – you know which books to study, what to study, how many times to practice a formula, and what essays to read. What might be lacking is a good movie recommendation when you wish to relax. Now this isn’t the time to waste on reading movie reviews or surfing on Netflix. But it is also not the time to fret about what if you can’t make it through. You have made the hay when the sun shone means you have worked hard throughout the year. Now is the time for a dose of motivation.
Seven Movies: To Ignite Your Exam Confidence
Here are my seven movie recommendations for you to watch in between a hectic study schedule. You could watch the entire movie or snippets from it. The choice is yours. But watch you must because thoda pagalpanti bhi jaruri hai.
Chak De
This SRK-starrer released in 2007 focuses on the women’s hockey team. SRK plays the coach to a bunch of rowdies, untamed girls who must bring pride to the country, fight their inner demons, overcome the shame of being insignificant, and later, as we come to know help the coach Kabir Singh to gain his lost honour.
The movie teaches you how sheer determination will decide your results. It doesn’t matter what your score was in the prelims or what your teacher feels about you. It is what you feel about yourself that matters in the end.
12th Fail
Most of you must have watched it by now or heard raving reviews. For those who haven’t, I would press you to watch. IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma’s true story inspired “12th fail,” an excellent example of how success belongs to a man who does not get deterred by the mountain of obstacles but focuses on the bright sun beyond it. What you mustn’t take from the movie is that there is always a second chance. Yes, there is, but not without giving your heart and soul to the first one.
3 Idiots
This movie I would recommend for pure entertainment and energy factor. Aamir Khan delivers some tight punch lines like ‘Success Ke Peeche Mat Bhaago, Excellence Ka Peecha Karo, Success Jhak Maarke Tumhare Peeche Ayegi.’ Don’t think about your scores or which college you would secure admission to. Just concentrate on putting your best foot forward. The rat race is overwhelming. There is a constant comparison between you and your best friend. In your head, he is now your Jani Dushmann. Don’t get bogged down. Neglect the comparison and remember your competition is with yourself. You must be better than what you were yesterday.
83
Cricket.
A country like India eats cricket, breathes cricket, and thrives on cricket. From gully cricket to stadium cricket, we have amateur cricketers everywhere. In 2021, the filmmakers released the movie “83” which perfectly exemplifies the idea that not all is lost until the last ball. Drawing parlance to your exams, don’t give up hope till the last question and last paper. If Maths was a disaster, don’t worry, Science will save you. If English makes you cry, History will be breezy.
Another lesson, this movie imparts is teamwork. Take help from your friends to get better. Group study makes memorizing fun. Read aloud with your friends. Take up each other’s answers orally. Push each other for more. Remember, you are not only studying but also making memories for life. Twenty years down the line, you will have a success story to tell. Write the best story.
Parmanu
Now this is an intense movie and could be energy-draining. But for those who love their coffee strong and bitter, then “Parmanu” is for you. Based on the true account of IAS officer Ashwat Raina, the movie is a detailed account of how success comes to those who plan, strategize, keep padding vigorously under the water with a calm demeanour on the surface, and believe in their process.
If you believe that the method you are following is going to give you results, stick to it. But don’t become blind with overconfidence. Our methods and processes must have a base of logic and reasoning and not mere intuition. Intuition comes with age and experience. There is still time for you to rely solely on your gut feeling.
Hichki
This recommendation is for specially-abled children who feel their physical or mental shortcoming is a deterrent to their success. “Hichki” is the story of a young woman suffering from Tortorella syndrome because of which she is denied a job as a teacher.
Because of her disability, she experiences frequent hiccups, or ‘hichki’ as we call it in Hindi. She is an object of laughter or sympathy wherever she goes and no school wants to hire a teacher like her. While this movie might hold little importance to the hale and hearty for those struggling with a handicap, it brings hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Your disability will turn out to be your biggest strength. It will act as your driving force, and the fire in your belly. When life throws clutches at you, grab them in your brawny arms and hop on your way to success.
Munnabhai MBBS
The last one is my personal favourite. Whenever I’m stressed and need a break, Munnabhai and his quirks come to my rescue. This Vidhu Vinod Chopra blockbuster, starring Sanjay Dutt as Munnabhai and Arshad Warsi as Circuit, is a satire on the modern-day state of government hospitals and the mechanical approach of doctors. While the movie has nothing to do with your board exams, it is a great way to unwind. It has entertainment coupled with life lessons. The best part of this movie is it is not at all preachy. Bole toh ek dum maska hai!
For those of you aspiring to be doctors and are preparing for your NEET examinations, Munnabhai must be your first guide. Watch the movie to sharpen your biology skills. If biology is not your subject and being a doctor is not your passion, watch it because you are a human first and must rush to help another human.
With that, I’m done with my seven movie recommendations to feel great before the exams. Watch two or a maximum of three. All seven if your prelim score is 99 per cent. The movies are only going to add 1 per cent to your score, the rest 99 is totally in your hands.
So go for it. The unachievable waits to be achieved. The unconquered peak awaits the flag of your success.
All the best!
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