I dreamed I was taking a class. It was a really hard class. The teacher expected us to know everything well. He was tough. But he seemed to believe a little in me. I would go to class but I wasn’t studying probably like I should. When it came time for a test, the day before, the teacher spent the whole class going over the material. The day of the test, I thought to myself, I’m not prepared, but I do know more than I expected to. The teacher gave us a handout to use with the test. He said we also had to keep a money change purse sitting in our laps. Somehow it would keep us from cheating. For the test, we had to know the names of all the planets, but they were very complicated names and difficult to spell. But on the handout, all of the information for the test was on it. It had all the answers. Still the test was complicated and required deep thought. I spent a lot of time writing great detail about each of the planets that I knew without looking at the answers. It was coming close to the end of class, and I realized I had never filled in the planets names and they were right there, all I had to do was copy them. And I realized I never answered the first couple of questions. I was writing as quickly as I could but I didn’t finish everything. The person next to me was a girl I went to college with in real life. We were cheerleaders together. We were always good friends. But today, I could tell that she doubted that I did well on the test. I didn’t want her to have such low expectations of me. Anyway, I turned in the test. I felt shame and embarrassment because I didn’t do as well as I should have. I hoped the teacher wouldn’t quit believing in me. I thought but maybe I did better than I thought on the test. I hoped so. All day, I kept thinking about it. I had all the answers. If I had just done it differently I could of aced the test. Like if I had filled all the planets and answers that were on the handout he gave us, then gone in and filled the answers in with deeper thought of things I already knew. I would have done great on it. Another odd thing that happened. When I was in class about to turn the test in, I was eating a small plate of spaghetti. We were supposed to finish it as well. Some of mine fell on the floor. I meant to clean it up, but I forgot. I felt really bad about that as well. I hoped the teacher didn’t notice it. Later that day, I went with other people and we were washing the floors. The girl who sat next to me during the test, ask if I did ok. I could tell she thought I didn’t, like I wasn’t capable. I said yes I did well, but in my mind, I feared I had not done well. And I was embarrassed and filled with shame about it. Still I hoped so much I did better than I thought.
This dream may indicate feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and fear of failure in your waking life. The challenging class and strict teacher could represent a situation or challenge in your life where you feel pressured to perform well and meet high expectations. The feeling of being unprepared for the test despite having some knowledge may reflect a sense of imposter syndrome or fear of not measuring up to others' standards.
The handout with all the answers symbolizes the availability of resources and support that could help you succeed, but the test still requires personal effort and deep thought, suggesting that success is not just about having all the answers but about applying yourself and demonstrating your understanding.
The interaction with your friend from college who doubts your abilities may represent external pressures or doubts from others that contribute to your own insecurities. The plate of spaghetti falling on the floor and your failure to clean it up could symbolize small mistakes or shortcomings that you are ashamed of and fear being judged for.
Overall, this dream may be urging you to confront your fears of failure, ask for help when needed, and trust in your abilities to navigate challenges. It could also be a reminder to be kinder to yourself, acknowledging that setbacks and imperfections are part of the learning process and do not define your worth.