I’ve been receiving many DMs regarding SPM from my dear brothers and sisters from Malaysia. Many are panicking, worried, under lots of stress, and some of them are even facing anxiety attacks. Honestly, I wish I had the power to help each and every one of you. Unfortunately, I can’t. In fact, it would be highly unfair for me to criticise the decision made by the Malaysian Ministry of Education and start comparing SPM and UK GCSEs. So instead, I would like to reach out to each and every one of my dear brothers and sisters in Malaysia. Some of you have sat the trial. Some of you will be sitting the trial this week. And most of you think that you are still not ready for the real SPM which will be held soon.
The first step is to stop complaining. Secondly, you need to embrace the challenge and start believing in yourself. Trust me, time is too precious to waste by panicking and worrying unnecessarily. Use all the time you have left wisely by putting in 100% towards your studies. And above all, don’t forget to pray to The Almighty. If you have truly tried your best, have faith in God that He will give you the best in return!
You might say that it’s easier for me to preach since I’m not the one who’ll be sitting this exam. But trust me, even though I am younger than you, I’ve been through my fair share of challenges. My life has been a rollercoaster ride since my mother has been ill for many years. I am the eldest in the family, and my brother and sister are only 7 and 5 years old. My father had to juggle between home and work constantly. As the eldest, I had a big responsibility on my shoulders. Whenever my mother is gravely ill, I had to help take care of my little brother and sister as well as help to care for my mother too. And this has been the case for many years - not just this year or 2020, when the coronavirus hit us and the new norms started. This has been the norm for me and my family since forever.
And one of the biggest challenges I faced was when I had less than a month to study for the entrance exam to King Edward’s School, while other people had been preparing for at least two or three years in advance. I can still remember that all I did in that month or so was study and pray - and nothing else! But Alhamdulillah, with the blessings of Allah plus my hard work to achieve my goal, I didn’t just pass the exam…I was among the highest scorers! It was indeed a miracle, but also proof of just what hard work can do.
So if you are struggling and you think that your life is hard, stop and look around you. Each one of us has our own story and is struggling in our own way. But the secret is to never give up. You still have time, even though it may not be much, but you still have the chance to use your time wisely. I pray that The Almighty will make it easy for you in your studies and reward you for the work you put in. And don’t forget to thank your parents and your teachers and seek their blessings in these last moments before the exams. May The Almighty keep us all under His guidance…
Thoughts and prayers,
O. Mukhtar O. Mukhlis
#theomarmukhtar
#toSPMcandidates
