An Unexpected Test.

I don't think there is any Nigerian who hasn't experienced an impromptu test before, maybe it happens in other countries too but my country is talented in giving an unaware and uninformed test, and because of lack of preparation, we perform woefully except for some bookworms who would always get prepared anytime. A lecturer would just enter the lecture hall and because the numbers of students aren't much, he or she then decides to do such an unprepared test for those available. Even though some of those tests are only for attendance. The impromptu test has led many students to repeat a course just because they weren't available to write such a test or because they wrote nonsense in their sheets as they don't know what to write since they didn't read.

I have been involved in impromptu tests several times in school; during my 200 level, first semester, and thanks to my friends who used to bail me out because I have a friend who would still open her books to revise especially at night. It is not that I don't read or study ahead too but not all the time and there are times lecturers won't inform us of tests and just give the order, "tear a sheet of paper, write your names, matric number etc" while everyone including myself would starts fidgeting and getting nervous, but in the end, what usually help me is exam because I don't hesitate to study hard at that moment knowing how bad I did in my test. Exams and assignments do carry most of my courses then.

This happened on a Monday as we weren't expecting any test especially since it was just the third week after school resumption. All students in my department weren't expecting the test too and we usually get informed through our course representative so we can get prepared not to be caught off guard. We arrived for the lecture in the morning and after waiting for the lecturer in charge for over an hour, he didn't show up. Most students weren't patient and they started leaving. I was only flipping through the pages of the book just to get sight of the last topic because this man would always point at any student to answer his question. Since I do sit in the front, there is the possibility he could call any of us in my roll and to avoid that, I had to flip through the pages while gisting with my friends. It was thirty minutes to the end of the two hours lecture when the man walked in. More than half of the students had left angrily because it was the only course we were having that morning until 4 pm later the day.

He walked in and saw the low population and suddenly, he frowned and ordered us to tear a sheet of paper as he would be conducting a test for us and it would be strictly used for our grades. Most students started calling their friends who had gone to come back while others like me were surprised and were like, "Test? How come? How many topics have we treated? What do we write? etc"

I was smiling in disbelief knowing I don't know what to write. My friends asked if I read my book, and I just smiled mischievously because I expected them to know me. I don't usually get serious with books unless there is an informed test and exam. Something about me is that I don't know how to cheat but my friends are good at it, but not in exams. I would be in the middle while both on my sides would flip the pages of their books placed under their laps while I help in monitoring the lecturer so they aren't caught. The man dictated 4 questions and gave us 10 minutes and he got busy supervising the class. Before then, he had called two more people to come to help him supervise. At first, we thought it was a joke but we saw the other two strict lecturers walked in.

The test came unexpectedly but my friends and I were able to complete it within the given time with no one being caught. After the test, I thanked them for helping me out.

What did I learn from this incident?

The first was that of being patient and not in a hurry. If I had been impatient like the others and left angrily thinking the man just wasted our time, it would have affected me because those students weren't allowed to enter again and it affected most of them who didn't do well in their exams which they repeated the course. I learnt that big lesson to always stay till the end of a lecture so that when there is an issue, I wouldn't be at fault but the lecturer, because I waited till the end before leaving.

The second was to always get prepared as things might come up when we do not expect them. This is why it is good to always study ahead in case of days like this when you aren't informed of the test, but reading ahead won't make you miss out on writing down the correct answers. They say if one fails to plan would surely plan to fail. Throughout my academic days, I never allowed such happen again as I would always open every page of a course even before the lecturer walks in to avoid failing my test.

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