Tests are Opportunities

Perhaps I am not the only person who has wondered who actually invented examinations. Tests back in school were like yet another opportunity for the school to stress a little more than they were already doing. But then again, if there were no ways to evaluate the performance of students at some level, how would anyone know how they're doing? And this is the same with real life.

After many applications for jobs, one finally got back to me. As it is with many jobs out there today, there is usually an aptitude test, but there were even more stages to go through. In one of them, I was to write a 600-word essay, and I had no knowledge of the topics prior. The constraint, however, was to do it in a very short time, perhaps 25 minutes or so.

When you consider the fact that you have to think through what to write and organize them so the paragraphs flow cohesively, you realize that 25 minutes may not be as generous as one may think. To align with the topic, however, one had to also be fairly knowledgeable on the provided topic. So many things were at play here, but I had not one but three advantages at this very stage.

You see, I could very well have just sighed and allowed myself to remain befuddled due to the pressure, but that really wasn't the case. A topic on AI and smart machines for improving efficiency in a food manufacturing industry?

Not only did I have some experience and skills in industrial automation and process control, but I had also written over 60 articles on AI & smart machines in the last year. Couple that with the fact that I write pretty every day on Hive and that I could conveniently type over 90 words per minute; it was like I was born for this moment.

After taking a few minutes to process an idea of what I would actually write, I blazed through like I had been waiting for a moment such as this. When I was done, I had probably 10 minutes to spare.

You see, not only did I impress my prospective employers after seven stages in total, including that essay, I proved something to myself. And that's the thing about tests; they're an opportunity to prove oneself to themselves as well as the world.

Remember, I could have just complained at the beginning at the sight of such a humongous task (at least to me). But I could very well feel that I had everything I needed right within me—to demonstrate my preparedness and virtues. And that's the thing about the realization of what one truly has; it's much more convenient to complain when you think you're not ready or fit. If that's not the case, then you feel that that test is an opportunity.

This is something we can translate into many parts of our lives. There are sometimes hard times. But "hard times are the ones in which we grow and learn," in the words of J.C. Watts. Hard times are the tests, and they are opportunities to prove to ourselves (and the world) that we are capable conquerors.

We're not always victorious, however. We don't always pass every test or perform as well as we'd like, but it is yet another opportunity to grow and learn. "Trying to compensate for our error can sometimes, we can go right of the road as it is with a fishtailing car." _{- Charles Richards, author of Psychology of Wealth} Sometimes we win, sometimes we learn. In all, tests are opportunities.