Monday, 5 May 2014

HSC Exams in Poland



Today it is the 4th of May and the first day of Polish HSC exams. It is the wrong time of the year my Australian soul cries. But putting my Polish hat on, switching on Polish TV station and looking through the window at the chestnuts trees in bloom my Australian persona has disappeared and Polish one took over. It actually is the right time for HSC in Poland.

                                      

My favourite TV news program, TVN24, starts each week day with a program “You get up, we inform”. I am not happy with my translation of “Wstajesz i wiesz”, so if I have any Polish readers please send me better options and I’ll correct the post.

Today was my first opportunity to watch the program after a break of some months. And I was lucky, my favourite journalist Jarek Kuzniar was leading the program today. I like the guy, he has great sense of humour, and he is able to talk about serious things in a light way without taking anything away from the merit of the subject. Even if he expresses his personal views at times, he does it a balanced way. He seems credible to me and I value that.

The first thing I heard this morning from him was that the HSC exams have started with a Polish language test as the first exam. The test took 170 minutes and I hope it went well for most of the students. HSC is called in Poland - Certificate of Maturity. Nice name and I wish it was that indeed.

Now, what chestnuts have to do with it? Polish peculiarity. The time of the year when the exams take place coincides with chestnuts being in bloom. Everybody knows that if the chestnut trees are blooming HSC is around the corner.

Isn't it a beautiful tree!

For some it is time to start to be nervous. That includes students and their families. Some time ago I was a part of the family who was going through the maturity exams. Boy, even I was nervous like a kitten. Part of the fun, I expect.

I wish all polish abiturients to keep their cool in the coming weeks and achieving great results allowing choosing future of their own calling.

2 comments:

  1. School and college examinations are all over and the students are enjoying their summer vacation. There is a boarding school that is just across the road from us and it is now empty and I miss the youngsters noises as they would play in the field across the road. Now examinations for college entrance are going on and it is madness of a different sort here.

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  2. You seem to be ahead of Poland with the school terms. Still the same time of the year. In my home town, Sydney, there is still some months till HSC. In Australia exams will come with jacarandas as they come with chestnuts in Poland. Any particular flowering trees connected to the exam times in India?

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