heSignificanceofTimeinExams:APhilosophicalPerspective
ntherealmofacademicpursuits,theartoftimemanagementisoftenregardedasacornerstoneofsuccess.Thequestionofwhetheronecanwritetimeinanexamisnotmerelyatechnicalitybutaphilosophicalinquiryintotheessenceofpreparationandthevalueoftimeitself.Asthefamoussayinggoes,”Timeismoney,”butinthecontextofanexam,timeisfarmorethanacurrency;itistheverymediumthroughwhichknowledgeisexchanged.
hedebateoverwhethertowritethetimeontheexampaperisasoldastheinstitutionoftestingitself.Somearguethatmarkingthetimecanserveasaconstantreminderofthefleetingnatureofthemoment,urgingtheexamineetobeefficientandfocused.AsBenjaminFranklinoncesaid,”Losttimeisneverfoundagain,”andthus,everysecondcounts.Writingthetimecanbeastrategicmove,ensuringthatthecandidateremainsconsciousofthetickingclockandavoidsthetrapofprocrastination.
ntheotherhand,therearethosewhobelievethatwritingthetimecanbedistracting.Theyarguethatthefocusshouldbesolelyonthecontentofthequestions,notonthepassageoftime.ThephilosopherSenecacautioned,”Lifeisveryshortandanxiousforthosewhoforgetthepast,neglectthepresent,andfearthefuture.”Inthisview,theexamineeshouldbesoengrossedinthematerialthattheminutesandhoursblendintoaseamlesspursuitofknowledge.
oreover,theinclusionoftimeintheexamcanalsoserveasapsychologicaltool.Itcancreateasenseofurgency,pushingthecandidatetoperformattheirbestwithintheconstraintsofthetimelimit.Astheadagegoes,”Hastemakeswaste,”butinanexamsetting,acertainlevelofhastecanbebeneficial,provideditischanneledintoeffectivetimemanagement.
nconclusion,whetherornottowritethetimeinanexamisamatterofpersonalphilosophyandstrategicapproach.Itisareflectionofone’sunderstandingofthenatureoftimeanditsroleinthepursuitofknowledge.AsthepoetWilliamShakespearewrote,”Howtimeflies,andtimefliesfast.”Thechoicetowritethetimeornotisadecisionthateachexamineemustmake,basedontheirownperceptionoftimeandtheirreadinesstofacethechallengesoftheexamwithbothwisdomandurgency.
