To Sir, with love.

Hello dear human!
I don't know if you know this but "final exams" aren't really exams for people studying design. (and architecture, I think)
We have something called the 'jury'. It is a real-life feedback system consisting of 2-4 humans who get to decide whether you will pass the semester, based on their opinions of what you made. Which is really strange because in a world of billions on people with billions of opinions, apparently if these 4 people don't like it, it is automatically assumed that the rest of the world also won't. And hence you become a 'bad designer' and hence you fail the semester. No offence to these 4 people of course. they are all experts in their fields, I know. And they have far more experience and knowledge that any of us students, nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt them to maybe just be a little bit more nice sometimes.
Anyway, what happens during a jury is that you basically display all your work done through the entire semester and explain it. In an exam, you don't have the examiner sitting right in front of you, pointing out your mistake as you write the paper. In a jury though, that's exactly what happens. And while some people are not affected by it, others like me tend to lose their train of thought and end up making a mess of everything that follows.
We think something in our heads and say something else. So here's what really goes on inside our heads- the behind the scenes footage of a jury. Dedicated to all professors, with love.

Dear Sir(s) and Ma'am(s),
Good-afternoon. I hope you are all in a good mood today as your opinions will shape the rest of my future, so please don't say anything out of anger. Welcome to the display of my work. What you see before you is hours and hours of sweat, tears and sleepless nights. No, it's not just a piece of paper with some design on it, it's a glimpse into my thoughts at the time that I was making it.
You will now ask me why I picked a particular topic, trying to see if I've done my research. And I will fail to answer you as per your expectations. Not because I didn't do my research but because the fear of you not liking what I've made consumes my brain more than anything else. I will forget the answers to simple questions and you will seize that opportunity to try and bring me down just a little more to see if my self-confidence will waver. And yes, it just might.
The assistant will come in with some refreshments. And just like that, I will lose your attention. You have been sitting here for a while now and you're hungry, I know. I only wish that you knew even I had not eaten a single morsel of food since daybreak. It's okay, I will wait. I've put in a lot of effort, so I will wait. I stand there, fidgeting with my fingers as you savour your tea and snacks and with the most polite voice, I ask you- "Sir, may I continue?"
You nod in agreement, still not paying attention to what I'm so desperately trying to say. I make a mistake and suddenly, you are all ears. I flinch. You know I'm getting nervous.
I gather whatever's left of my confidence and continue to explain the rest of my work. But you are bored now. You sigh in exasperation. "Hurry up, we have many more students to finish" you tell me. My heart sinks. I think to myself, what was the point of rehearsing your explanation yesterday? Quickly I re-arrange my thoughts to suit the given time-frame. I finish my explanation and thank them all for for their time. They look at me, then at my work, then at me again and ask me "Is that all?".
I flinch again. Do they feel I haven't worked enough? Have I been a little to brief? Maybe I forgot some important point. Is this all I have? Oh god, everyone else must have shown them so much.
"Yes ma'am that is all" I reply, after a second.
They take a brief minute to write down my feedback, I ask them to sign my hall ticket, they ask me to sign the attendance sheet. Then they show me my feedback- "Could have done some more research"
I sigh. I ask them if I can leave the room, they nod.

As soon as I come out the room, my classmates will bombard me with questions. I will lie and tell them that the jury was great even though I know it was just 'okay-ish'.
Later that evening, my mother will call me and ask me how I did. I will tell her 'it was fine' just like I always do. She doesn't understand that this is not like an exam where there is one correct answer that applies for everyone. I end up having to comfort myself, even mom cannot help me with this one.
I have dinner, with no interest in actually eating, and go to bed.
Tomorrow will be a new day, I tell myself.
Just hold on, Mriganka, tomorrow will be a new day.