Let’s start on a positive note: in a month, it’s vacation time. But the current focus is on the baccalaureate exams. Don’t panic! It’s time to get started for the procrastinators. Better late than never. We bite our nails. We chew our hair. We fiddle with pencils and pens. We nibble on them. A student in full revision mode can be a danger. He mishandles everything that comes his way. A month of exams, a month of stress, of anxiety. You are not alone. 621,532 students are in the same situation. You’ve been preparing for this baccalaureate for three years, since you started high school. So much pressure is on you. A hurdle to overcome. A key for the future.
Immersed in their revision sheets and past exams for a long time, the students now feel ready for the big day. This is the case for Alexia, 18 years old, serious and stress-free: “I started summarizing my courses on little Bristol cards two months ago. Today, I am calm. I know everything I need to know. On the day, I will do my best to get the distinction. That’s my goal.” While some do not feel the need to stress, others can’t relax: “I can only think about it. I eat very little, sleep poorly, and I can’t have fun. The exams haunt me! Yet, I know I’m ready,” explains Guillaume, 19 years old. Stress even seizes the most talented students, no more favorites and nerds, no difference, it spares no one…
… except …
While many students are anxious, others are experiencing the exam period very well. Lounging on beaches, to the sound of the gentle clinking of waves, some candidates have decided to revise under the sun. While the sun still shone on the coast, in small groups, set up under a large parasol, the philosophy topic is on everyone’s lips. “We decided to work together while enjoying the start of summer. It allows us to relax while having a bit of fun. Tonight, we have a barbecue!” recounts Alison, 18, already enticed by the smell of sausages on the grill. Aristotle or Kant? Mayonnaise or mustard? What is the question my dear William. Everything is a topic for philosophy! For them, the best way to approach exams is solidarity and moments of fun, toes fanned out, sunglasses on, coated in sunscreen. See you on Monday to see if this bucolic method really works especially on the big day… Adrian, 18, seems less convinced, “I prefer to work in groups. But I’m afraid I won’t be able to stand on my legs Monday in front of the philosophy topic.”
To each their illusions or hopes, good luck to everyone who will face their topic on Monday.
