Lebanese official exams are right around the corner, and we can't help but reminisce about the little quirks that made te2deem (applying for official exams in the 9th grade and 12th grade) a truly unique experience that is nothing short of bittersweet.
In a nutshell, here are 10 things that summarize the Lebanese official exam experience:
1. The endless rumors
You hear all sorts of rumors related to the official exams all year long, from people claiming that the exams will be cancelled, to those saying that they are adding a second foreign language to the curriculum.
2. "Shou habibi baddak tjib te2deer, eh?"
Family members and adult family friends take official exams a tad too seriously, especially if you're known to be an over-achiever.
They have high expectations, and they use every opportunity to express these expectations by asking you to "shidd l hemme" (work hard) and reminding you that you are not expected to get any less than honors.
3. Official exams starter pack: Al-Shamel + guides + scientific calculator
4. The sight of these history books induces a minor panic attack
How we managed to study 14+ chapters of history is beyond me, especially since we forgot it all the second we walked out of the exam room.
5. Endless envy for the students with 'wasta'
Everything seems to work with nepotism in Lebanon, and official exams are no exception. From occasional exam leaks, to the "privileged" students who get special treatment from the supervisors, wasta definitely works in full force.
6. Cheating goes to new extremes
Never in your life will you experience cheating as you do during Lebanese official exams. It's really something else.
Lebanese students take their creativity to crazy extremes while cheating, and the often-lenient supervision makes it all the more tempting to unleash one's inner cheating master.
7. Waiting for the results is the epitome of anxiety
Apart from the fact that the results are released hours after they are supposed to, you deal with heavy traffic and system crashes on the official website, and might even resort to checking your result on the radio ... that is, unless you have wasta through which you can find your grade without the hassle.
8. "I needed one more grade to jayyed jeddan!"
If you were one of the unfortunate students whose results were a couple of grades short of jayyed (good) or jayyed jeddan (very good), then the disappointment probably still haunts you until this very day.
9. Gunshots and fireworks
When will we grow tired of this ritual?
10. Mabrouks, gifts and cash!
We all know that this is the best part of the official exams. No matter what your grade was, your family probably congratulated you for passing with outpouring amounts of cash and gifts.
YASSS!