I was writing a physics test, and I got to one of the questions that I had answered instantly when I first saw it, but during revision, I started overthinking. I stared blankly at my paper and waited for God to just drop the answer in my head. That didn’t happen. I looked to my teacher, hoping he could point me toward the right answer, but he just looked at me and said to hand it in. “Don’t overthink it,” said my teacher. I looked at my paper one more time and erased my answer, which was correct originally. I handed in the paper with hope, thinking I did the right thing and well…I didn’t.
A few days later, I asked my teacher for the grade that I was entering the exam with to see where I was standing. Every time I ask my teachers about what grade I have, I get nervous knowing that the number that will come out of their mouth will determine if I have a good or bad day. Instead of telling me my grade, he told me to focus on what’s next to come and that my grade is fine. Unsatisfied with that answer, I asked again. He then mentioned that after the test a few days ago, I said something that stuck with him. During the test, I had said, “I can remember the exact page it’s on,” when I was trying to remember the right answer. At first, I thought my comment was about memory. But the more I reflected on it, the more I realized it was really about confidence. I wasn’t trying to remember the page because I had forgotten the concept; I was trying to convince myself that my answer was right. I was looking for certainty because I didn’t trust what I already knew.
I had studied, but when it mattered most, I second-guessed myself and stopped trusting what I knew. Maybe that’s the part I was missing. Not that I didn’t know the answer- I did. What I lacked was the trust in what I already knew.
What I took away from this wasn’t a lesson about physics. It was a lesson about trust. I had studied. I had prepared. I had even chosen the correct answer the first time. Yet when the pressure of the moment set in, I trusted my doubt more than I trusted myself.
Too often, we think confidence comes from knowing all the answers. In reality, confidence comes from trusting the knowledge and preparation we already have. There will always be moments of uncertainty, whether it’s a test, a competition, or an important decision. In those moments, the challenge isn’t always finding the right answer; it’s believing that you’re capable of finding it.
Years from now, I probably won’t remember the mark I received on that physics test. But I will remember the lesson it taught me: there will always be moments when doubt is louder than confidence. The challenge is learning to trust yourself anyway.
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