Author Joan Josep Cardona confesses his dislike for June due to memories of his final exams, describing the anxious journey to Alicante and nights in a boarding house. He recalls difficulties with mathematics and Spanish grammar, comparing his grades to a field full of poppies.
Cardona recounts how his granddaughter recently took the PAU, sharing the concern about achieving a good score to complement her academic record and allow her to enter her desired career, where vocation plays a fundamental role.
“"Here we have an entire generation on edge, eager to pass these exams to gain entry into the university world."
He mentions the widespread fear among young people of not achieving the necessary score for their dream faculty and how specialists advise on conduct to mitigate the excessive anxiety of failure. He references the thoughts of journalist Neus Navarro on the excessive worry about obtaining excellence grades.
Recalling the old Cato, "the censor," and his saying "Rem teme, verba sequèntur" (master the subject, the words will follow), the author emphasizes the importance of knowing the content without fear.
This morning, upon meeting three young people from Pedreguer in the Internacionals park, they told him that grammar had caused them suffering, especially the syntax of a long sentence. Cardona compares this difficulty to the ease of writing on social networks and argues that syntax, despite being a struggle, disciplines us and is part of "speaking properly."
The author concludes that the fear of not mastering a subject or situation must be overcome with attention and the wisdom of the classics, like Virgil, who said "fortune favors the bold." He expresses hope that his granddaughter Aina will get a good grade in English, and that students like those from Pedreguer and others can overcome these difficult times with solidarity and goodwill.
