12th of September, Philosophy and Letters campus, green building, second floor, 3:50 pm. Eyes and hands moving at an incredibly high speed between the papers in my folder. I’m searching for a concept. Never figured out it was going to be like that, but there I was, shaking from coffee and wearing a stupid kiwi t-shirt that I borrowed from my roommate with ‘I love Napoli’ written on my back, waiting to pass the last exam, the last one. My bachelor’s degree, 5 years of hard work and just 10 minutes left to start. Where is that note? I remember it was underlined with a pale pink sharpie, oh c’mon, where is it? Carmen what a dull color to underline something! Oh, here you are!! “Good afternoon Miss Correa, I didn’t expect to see you this afternoon.” My spine suddenly frozen. Pedro Francés, the professor who had suspended me twice this painful Monographic Course of Moral Philosophy in Kant was staring defiantly right into my eyes.
The story behind that last test began two semesters ago, when for some reason I decided to enroll myself into that subject. The idea turned out to be bad after I got an unfair 4.75 out of 10 in the first call, and it became worse after getting the painful 4.89 that Mr. Francés gave me in the call of July, right when my first summer as a graduate was supposed to start. Since it was my last subject remainig and Mr. Francés seemed insistent on not letting me go ahead with life, I decided to ask for an alternative examination, something not very common and which could place interrogation marks about his evaluation process. But the thing was, both the regular and the special exams were scheduled the same day, in the same building, at the same hour, just two doors away from each other, and there he was, the professor I had dishonored, destroying my confidence with his diplomatic greetings while entering his class.
Only 5 minutes left, ok, I have to focus, everything is going to be all right. How will this special examination look like? The concept, I have to check that concept! Why is nobody coming to this classroom? It will be me surrounded by the whole Metaphysics’ department? For god sake where was it?! Why did I have to go for this option? Oh, two professors are coming. Oh, looks like they are Mr. ... nice. “Good to see you Carmen, since it’s only one student taking the alternative test, would you mind doing an oral examination? That way, we won’t have to read.”
For five years I never took an oral exam, and no way the last was going to be the first. “Please, I beg you, let me write. I promise. I’ll be fast.” After only two questions and three and a half hours of me writing at the speed of light, I was done with the exam. The score was instantly proclaimed. I got a 5. I left that green building with that random kiwi color t-shirt, in a glorious state of mind.
