Obstacles

In Trinidad, my country, if you are enrolled in the public school system, when you reach the fifth form (approximately 15 years old,) you must write the CSEC exams (Caribbean Secondary Education of Certificate.) These exams are a collaboration of the work you have learnt since first form (a.k.a an accumulation of stress and hard work from learning). I took these exams 2 years ago and it was a tough time for me... I was never a very intelligent student or hard worker who spent her nights reviewing classwork and doing homework but when CSEC came around, I got my act together. This may not be a life and death situation like Aminata finds herself in mostly daily but it was a situation where I had to use certain skills and resources to get through it, which is what she does, only on a more advanced level. In order to obtain the grades that I wanted, I had to be a diligent student in classes and study my work nightly. This was not a regular routine for me but I had to adjust if I wanted to make myself and my parents proud. This time was probably one of the most difficult times in my teenage life. The stress that the exams put on me was nearly unbearable but I stuck through it with the thought of good marks on my mind. Aminata uses her intelligence to obtain information that helped her along her difficult journey as a slave. For example, her knowledge on how to speak many different languages and her ability to read and write allow for her to eventually get what she has wanted for a long time, which was to go back to Bayo. Aminata saw what she wanted and she sought to get it. During the CSEC exams, this is what I did. I used the resources I had: my teachers, the internet and my notes. I studied and reviewed and practiced all of the work I had to and after the month of exams, I got the marks that I wanted. I even exceeded my own expectations and got better grades in certain subjects that I anticipated. My parents were proud of me and I was proud of myself.