First Blood

   The day finally came - The Big A's. And so far 3 papers are done and frankly speaking, I feel that I've screwed up everything. First, came the GP. Armed with a plethora of examples attributed from memory work from the day before, some practice and hopes and prayers to God and from mom, I set out to come from behind and win.

  

   "Can prejudice ever be eliminated?" was the question. C'mon!! This should be right down my alley right!! I mean that I've been preparing for such a question. Brainstorming went very well with 7 points chunked up and 6 points chosen with an OVR in play (Sounds promising right!!). But there came my hidden nemesis - Time. With one blow, it had taken me out with only 4 points being able to be displayed by me. Back outside, I was literally kicking myself (and the railing...) for the lapse. I coudn't do anything but to coin the cliche - what's done is done and you have to move on from here. Easier said than done when the next paper was in 5 minutes...

   Paper 2 comes as a pleasant surprise with a nice clearance in the SAQ and the summary. However, time again made a retaliation and got me stuck with an average 2 points in play for the AQ. Well, at least those hard work for the Compre paid off somehow...

   The following day saw the first math paper and it was expected to be harder than the 2010 edition. And once again, fortified with much needed practice and hopes held high, I went in to clear the paper. This paper never saw the time being the control factor but it was the difficulty of the paper that apalled me. How could it be that prelim papers are much easier than the national exams itself!? After a series of A's in prelim practices, how could a meltdown like this happen??. With an alarming MI question, displaying Trigo for the very first time (like they knew my weakness...)  valued at 10 points and a complex number question putting me out my league (since complex numbers should be something I'm better at...), I'm beginning to question my chances of a win here. Seeing Daniel leaving with a hopeful expression on his face justifies that...

  
   Back outside, all I can hope for was a poorly done cohort elsewhere and a relatively easier paper tomorrow to counter the drop. In theory, I'm still alive in this competition but my chances for a win is thinning. Moreover, with more papers to come, including the dangerous Physics and supposedly my element - Geography, it's anybody's game. All I can do now is to pray hard for a better shot and a victory somehow...

   The second math paper in 18 hours and 30 minutes - Hoping for the best and preparing for the worst at the same time, Exams 2, Aziz 1...