Pop Quiz! The Lesson I Learned Beyond the Test

In grade 4, we had a pop quiz on the human skeletal system. I didn’t know a single answer, but I figured, let’s give this a whirl!

While I was winging it, I noticed the smartest kid in the class was having a full-blown panic attack. I asked if he was okay, but he wouldn’t even look at me.

The next day, we got our tests back—I failed (no surprise there). But my classmate? He failed too. And unlike me, he was devastated. He started crying, completely inconsolable. Our teacher, seeing how upset he was, made a special exception: we could all retake the quiz the next day.

That was the moment my 9-year-old brain realized something:
• The system was rigged.
• If I had a meltdown over failing, there wouldn’t have been a second chance.
• And honestly? I didn’t even want one. I saw how much stress this kid carried, and I knew I didn’t want that burden.

As I got older and got to know him better, I began to understand why he reacted that way. I stopped feeling jealous of kids who were “smarter” than me and started having compassion for them instead.

Because at the end of the day, compassion outweighs competition. And empathy bridges the gaps between us all.

I still couldn’t label every bone in my body, but I’ve always tried to remember where my heart is.