Curiosity Cured the Cat

Endless nights, more caffeine than blood in my veins, and a posture that practically guaranteed scoliosis sooner rather than later. That was me. I had lost all hope of ever reaching the grades I had once dreamed of at the start of the academic year.

They say curiosity killed the cat.
A tale as old as time. Stay away from the unknown. Stick to what is familiar if you do not want trouble.

My pencil tapped rhythmically against the paper, leaving tiny graphite dots as I tried to recall whatever information I had crammed from my fairly organised notes. If it was not obvious, the word fairly is used here in the most sarcastic way possible.

Pages filled with scribbles. Entire sections crossed out in frustration. The urge to bang my head against the table stronger than my will to keep going.
The pressure built on my shoulders until my tired form slumped forward, finding brief peace on the cold surface of my desk.

Exams were looming, and all my practice papers screamed one thing: a solid C.
Ego killed the cat, maybe. Not curiosity. It had certainly killed me.

My index finger, marked with a small indent from holding my pencil too tight, hovered over my laptop touchpad before landing on the keyboard.

I needed something. Anything. Whatever could give me some sort of fake sense of security.

And then, I saw it.

“Free” and “High-Quality” in the same sentence?

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but at that point, I was already melting over the 15 out of 50 staring up at me from my past paper. So I clicked.

Fast forward to results day.
Before, I was hunched over my desk, panicking about exams.
Now, I was hunched over my computer screen, panicking about results.

And then, I saw it. Again.

My Cs had turned into As in less than a month of preparation.

The weight lifted from my shoulders. The panic turned into disbelief. Then into laughter. Then into the kind of joy that makes you want to throw your laptop across the room, but out of celebration this time.

Less than a month. Just a few weeks with resources from a site I had never even heard of before, and suddenly, my shattered dreams had stitched themselves back together.

That site was ZNotes. I did not expect much at first, but what I found there changed everything. Notes written by students who actually understood the struggle, clear explanations, and a sense of community that made me feel a little less alone. It was not a miracle, just the right kind of help at the right time. Somehow, that was enough.

They say curiosity killed the cat.
But for me, curiosity was the cure.