So you have a clique, and you guys do everything together.You eat together at recess, hang out at the malls together and have regular sleepovers at each other's houses. You all seem to be siblings, so emotionally attached to each other.

Then the Finals arrive and soon the members of this clique speak less to each other. Soon, you stop studying together because that means sharing information - and that wouldn't be wise. See, sharing information means levelling the playing field - the very competitive playing field - and in such an antagonistic arena, an advantage is your only hope of winning.

The gloves are off. The claws are out. All teeth are bared. Such is the lack of civilisation evident in this competition. It is official. In one short instant, Man has traded thousands of years of the fight for civilisation and culturedness, for barbaric and ungamely sportsmanship.

--

I see this everyday. It's sad to see such competitiveness arise for the sake of one examination. Yes, I get the magnitude of it, but I'm just questioning whether there is this need to become so uncouth and so aggressive for the sake of competition. I don't think there is a need at all. It's ridiculous, it's unloyal, and most importantly, it is utterly condescending to one's level of maturity.

It takes a mature person to actually be able to see that to do well in an examination, such as the O's, rivalry isn't important - among friends, at least. Work together, share information, help each other. You'll learn more, and you'll strengthen friendships. This is why I take it to heart, whenever people decide to play the cut-throat game and try to put me at a disadvantage in anything. Immediately, I sever all ties. The courteousness stops. The politeness stops. We're no longer friends.

I play fair. If you help me, I'll help you. No questions asked. My group of friends, we don't hide anything from each other. Study together? Why not? We all need each other anyway. Treat thy brother as thyself - do unto others what you'd like to have done, to you. Simple rule, sinple strategy to succeeding.

Help each other achieve your respective goals by sharing and helping each other, just as how I'm here, spilling the secrets to success. No man is an island. No one can survive on their own. There are limits to everything - including your own capabilities to do well, alone.

Being competitive doesn't only show how disgusting your character is. It shows how desperate and unintelligent you are - not to mention your blatant disregard for the simple things like friendship, loyalty and compassion.

Boo, you.