Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

The quote frames “experience” as an unforgiving instructor: life does not provide a syllabus or practice run, but confronts people with real consequences before they fully understand what is required. The “test” stands for decisive moments—games, choices, crises—where one must act with incomplete knowledge. The “lessons afterwards” suggests that insight is retrospective, arriving through reflection on failure, pain, or surprise. The line encourages humility and resilience: errors are not merely punishments but the raw material from which competence and wisdom are built, even if the learning process feels harsh.

1) "Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward." 2) "Experience is a hard teacher; it gives the test first and the lesson afterward." 3) "Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the exam first and the lesson afterward."