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Shahbaz Hassan Khan Malik

Matha Rosenfeld

English 113A

11/16/2017

A day at my college

Alright, people! Take a break while I take your papers out Fear starts dripping

all over my body. Im worried about the matching section? Jacob says with the most

bothersome face possible to which I shockingly reply, There was a matching section

too? He grins, gets up, and leaves the hall while putting me in a state of turmoil. I cant

feel myself, everything starts to vanish from my surrounding. I get thrown into a sea of

misery. I lift my body gradually, just like a 70 year old, and start walking languidly

towards the door, carrying a brain replete with thoughts of balancing personal and

academic life. As I leave the room, down the hallway, I can see tormented faces lined up

near their assigned room, each of them reading the same book while flipping off the

pages continuously in anxiety. Only two minutes left. Are you well prepared? One of

them worriedly asks his group. Anyways, I pass them just to pull the towering metal door

to exit the hall. The wintry breeze strikes my cheeks reminding me to wear my hoodie

next time although Im already wearing a cloak of depression. Pluck! There go my

earbuds, isolating me from the rest of the world, yet giving me the chance of getting an

eyeful of the exquisite weather. Its a clear blue sky with a patch of sunlight interrupted

by an airplane. Hundreds of people carrying different a mood and set of thoughts are

briskly walking towards their destinations. Some of them, however, prefer the shorter

route by walking over the lush green grass that had just been trimmed by the gardener.

Hes the one who I see first, while stepping my foot out of the car. Im, on the other,
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taking big steps, just like a penguin, while continuously pondering about my progress in

the first exam. I temporarily become such a profound thinker that I dont even notice that

the red illuminated logo on the dark red building with shiny glass windows is just a few

feet away from me. I get welcomed by the warmth of the coffee aroma. The caf is jam

packed with students lined up near the counter, with their eyes on the phone. But that

doesnt stop me from ordering my all-time favorite Ice Latte! One Ice Latte, please! I

blissfully ask the server, while being oblivious to the frigid weather. Five minutes later, I

grab the slippery plastic glass, pop in the straw, and start walking back towards the hall.

Few feet away from me, I can see Jacob dashing towards me. He stops inches away from

my face and seems a bit frazzled. I anxiously ask him, Please tell me it was a joke!

Jacob recklessly says, Off course! Shall we move to the class, already? I sigh, and take

my own route towards the class. I reach the class room, feeling down in the dumps.

Crestfallenness is also evident on everyone elses face except for that one guy responsible

for putting me in a temporary dilemma -Jacob. Perhaps, life wants me to learn something

from him. After waiting for everyone to get in, our instructor gets up, and collects the

bundle which has our destiny engraved on it. He starts calling out our names and that was

the time where a transition in everyones expression gets evident. Positive for some, but

negative for the majority. Im, on the hand, still unsure which category Ill be thrown into

until... Shahbaz. Thats it! Thats the time. First exam! Remember, first impression is

always the last one! All those nights I spent studying for the exam, what am I going to

get? I sluggishly elevate my body from the dark blue fabric cushion, and start taking

limited steps, without putting much stress on my bones and muscles. Or perhaps,

depicting that Im not ready to face the reality. Everything in my surrounding darkens
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except for the path on which I walk. Heavy breathing occupies my torso, my legs start to

jolt, and my face blanches. I finally reach the table, and dive into the sea of fear, after

holding the script closely to my chest. I quickly move towards my chair, sit down and

slowly lift the paper to catch a glimpse of my fate inscribed in a red ink. 92 Percent! Are

you freakin kidding me? I cheerfully shout within myself! All the gloominess, and

dreadfulness gets sucked out of my body whilst leaving a portion of it inside, for the left

over 8 percent. I wish I can rewind the time, and enjoy those moments of the past week

which I couldnt, for my brain was indeed occupied by anxiety. Little did I know that hard

work indeed pays off. I get up, this time more quickly, and head towards the library to

prepare for the second exam.