OK, I had my midterms recently. Actually, my midterms consisted of only one test: Business Law. The test only consisted of one chapter. This one chapter only covered half of a topic, which was contract law. This half topic was made up of three subtopics: intention to create legal relations, offer and acceptance and consideration. I had a full 48 hours to study the subject thoroughly. Guess what? I didn't. Why? Overconfidence and the fact that I like law enough to forget things less often. When I walked into the hall, I panicked and grabbed hold of a few facts I hadn't noticed while studying the day before. None of this facts showed up. In fact, if I hadn't studied, I might have done equally well. Or equally badly, depending on my actual marks. I consider application to be my strongest academic point. I'm certain that application is my strongest, most absolute unshakeable point of strength in my studies. However, I'm also certain that my weakest point is blurting out facts. I do this in the utmost terrible way, as I have demonstrated time and again in Management and my SPM History. I cannot get the sense out of a question that asks me something as simple as how many steps there are in the decision making process. I can answer you and debate with you over the characteristics of effective goals. I think that's how my Marketing subject is going to turn out. Of course, I would be more than overjoyed if the lecturer were to be as nice to give us more than several case study questions. Darkness falls upon those who do not know what the knowledge they have actually is. Of course, most people live on application. Speak to anyone, anyone at all on the streets. They can probably do math twice as fast as you can on simple things like decimals. Of course, you might be faster and counting other things: numbers in the millions, probabilities far more accurate than any Tom, Dick and Harry could tell you, faster at telling them how they should maybe sell their stuff, or maybe even something as simple as how to improve fuel efficiency by changing a few parts in your car.
Application is where it all comes down to. It is the only reason learning can never stop, unless you know everything, like God or something. It will never end because you will always be learning something. How to speed up certain simple processes like walking, jogging, driving, mapping, calculating, resurfacing, tiling, digging, running, travelling, burning, hearing, treating, killing, slaughtering, poking, wiring and many other things you could do for a living. What you become in life depends on how well you match your application skills to your job. Some people were never meant to be accountants. Some people would never become good cooks no matter how much the measure and programme themselves. Just because you aren't good at something doesn't mean you aren't good at another. Just because you're good at something doesn't mean that you could do better elsewhere.
Some of the students grow up to run the show. they start businesses, direct movies, compete with others of the same caliber and they do more. Some people grow up to be nothing more than what they already are. Some people will cause suffering, some people will end them and some people will destroy everything. This is a small small world. Someone you know, might make headlines every few weeks in possibly 10-20 years time.
I think I should get back to my own studying. My finals are in September: I have loads of time to relax, or so I think. My Quantitave Analysis subject has finally reached differentiation, which is a big relief for me, because I love doing these simple things. Well, I have only one advice if you ever need advice. Think different. Think like a different person. You won't be getting anywhere just thinking like you and only you. The universe doesn't revolve around one person. Does it even revolve? :D