My First Exam in 42 Years at 60+ | It’s Never Too Late to Learn | by V Subramanian | Inspiring Story #241

“Additional answer sheet please.”

As I raised my hand and made the request, all the heads in the hall turned towards me in awe.

They were surprised to see an over 60-year-old, grey-haired, bespectacled, but confident-looking, sari-clad grandmother writing a Sanskrit exam along with all the other Gen-Z youngsters in the room.

My Lifelong Passion for Teaching and Learning

I spent over two decades in the teaching profession. My husband had a transferable job, and we lived in cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, and Ahmedabad.

During this time, I taught CBSE, ICSE, and state syllabi, and took on many roles including teacher, mentor, examiner, invigilator, evaluator, and centre-in-charge.

Eventually, I had to resign from my career when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with dementia and needed constant care.

But the passion to learn and teach always remained with me.

So, when an orphanage in Bangalore requested volunteer teachers to support their students online after school hours, I quickly volunteered myself. I started giving online science tuitions to 8th and 9th class students in the evenings.

The volunteer work helped satisfy my passion to an extent. But the desire to learn more things in life kept me continuously on the lookout for the right opportunities.

Igniting a New Passion for Study

For a long time, I had wanted to study Samskrit, the mother of Indian languages. The passion ignited further after I learnt that there was a village called “Mattur” near Shivamogga in Karnataka, India where the entire village speaks Samskrit.

I wanted to read and understand our ancient scripts and the wealth of knowledge that were enshrined in these books written mostly in Samskrit.

I later had the opportunity to visit this village and experienced the thrill of watching and listening to the people conversing in Samskrit.

I met a group of students studying at Veda Pathashalas, dedicated to preserving and reviving this ancient language to its past glory. Their commitment inspired me deeply.

When I returned home, I immediately enrolled in an introductory Samskrit course.

I started preparing for my first major exam in over 42 years.

Back in the Exam Hall

Initially, it was a challenge for me to remember the words and sentences due to age, but I overcame it with my determined approach.

Eventually, with due planning and practice, I wrote the exam well.

My friends asked if I had butterflies in my stomach while writing the exam after such a long gap. I told them that the classroom atmosphere always made me homely because of the strong bond I had with students for nearly two decades.

So when I sat there in the examination hall, it did not feel like pressure or fear. It felt like returning, a walk back through the years of my teaching days.

In the end, I completed all four exams - Pravesha, Parichaya, Shiksha, and Kovida, in a single attempt, securing distinction in all four exams. 

It Is Never Too Late to Learn

After more than four decades away from exams, I realised something simple.

The ability to learn never leaves us. It only waits for us to return to it.

If you have a strong desire and unwavering passion, age is just a number.