by Zachary Lee (P5 2021)

          The day began like any normal day. I was busy packing up my belongings for my move to a new house. While I was checking for what to throw away, I chanced upon a photograph of myself holding onto my Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) certificate. Surprised by my discovery, I looked closer at the photograph which had the words “Most Improved Student” in the background. I was filled with pride in my achievements, and I was really excited to have discovered the photograph. As I looked fondly at the photograph, the events that unfolded prior to that fateful day played vividly in my mind.

         “Yay! I clinched first place in Fortnite!” I shouted for joy and started dancing. After multiple tries, I had finally succeeded in my game. I played video games for four hours every day. Unfortunately, that meant that my studies were neglected. I often scored average marks, especially for English. My parents would scold me for not trying my hardest. Nevertheless, their words fell on deaf ears. I would rather spend time playing video games than revising for my tests. All of this came to a head when I got back my results and I saw a huge red “F” scrawled at the top of my paper. My eyes had widened in horror. I knew then that I needed to work harder.

          Even though she had spoken to me in class about my dismal results, my teacher called my parents. They were horrified too. Their faces had turned pale and once I was at home, they reprimanded me. I resolved to turn over a new leaf and work hard because it was only one month before the start of my PSLE.

         Every afternoon, after completing my homework, I would practise past year papers in the school library. I also took the initiative and asked for help from my tutors and schoolteachers. Additionally, I attended supplementary lessons and even studied together with my friends. Doing all of these was not an easy task but I was determined to do well. At the end of each day, I would fall into a deep sleep in my room.

         A month later, I sat for my PSLE English paper. Fraught with worry, my heart was beating wildly, and my hands were clammy. I hope I would do well for my exam paper. The examination hall was silent when the invigilator signalled the start of the paper. The questions were tough, but I recalled all the rules and steps I had learnt. My hard work eventually paid off because I could answer all the questions. I decided to treat myself after the paper by playing with my friends.

         Another month passed and soon, I received my PSLE certificate. I had scored an AL1 for English. I was elated and proud of myself. The school held an award ceremony and I got to go on stage to receive a certificate as the “Most Improved Student” in school. Seeing my parents point their camera at me, I flashed a wide smile.

From the incident, I learnt to work hard and persevere even when I face a great difficulty.

         “What do you have there?” my mother asked, and I snapped out of my reverie. I showed her the photograph that I had found, and she gave me a huge hug. Then, I found a photo frame as I would like to cherish that photograph for a lifetime.

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