I took my last final today and I feel inclined to report on an interesting strategy that I found works. I call it "the low stress approach." Rather than starting with a description of the wonders it does for you and how it works, I'll start by explaining what I did:
Some background info first:
I'm taking 18 credits, 15 of which are English courses. Anyone who has taken an English course knows that they can, and often are, more challenging than any other subject. The reason for this is because English courses don't teach you factual data and perfected methods that lead to the same results. English, and other humanities, courses are designed to teach you how to understand life and human nature, and develop your own connection to it. In math and science courses you learn a specific pattern to follow in order to reach a result. In business related courses they approach them in a scientific manner: good businesses excel because they have access to the best resources (i.e. human resources, cash resources, product materials &c.). For instance, marketing is all about reaching the greatest number of people who have the potential to buy the product and to determine the worth of a marketing campaign, one would gather statistical data and plug it into a finely tuned formula that quantifies the amount of resources that can reasonably be spent in order for the company to earn a profit. Engineering--same thing, mathematics and physics determine the necessary components.
But humanity is not easily understood using a simple formula. It is too complex for that and the variables involved are so innumerable and ever changing that no amount of science can hypothesize about human nature. It is impossible. (on a side note, this is the entire reason why we do not bother with lie detectors in the court system to determine the guilt of an individual...) Science has its faults even though it has its benefits.
With such an intensive school load, full of courses that teach "deep thinking" skills, studying for finals could become an issue. Typically, to save college students from a mental breakdown, English professors do not require their students to have final exams--in substitution, they have massive final researched papers with intricate rules regarding length and how much in-depth research is required. Other courses do not compare with the intensity and rigidity of English paper assignments. I had nearly 100pages worth of in-depth writing to complete for the end of this semester. It was hard. it was difficult. It required every, all-day Saturday for the last 7 weeks of my life in order to complete it, plus the countless hours I devoted during the week to revise and perform research tasks. In all each of those pages probably had about 5 hours put into them, or, for all of your math nerds, 71 hrs a week devoted to writing, plus attending 18 hrs worth of classes (although...I didn't always attend class). Either way, I devoted at least 89 hrs a week to school related functions and just under 56 to sleeping. I had a measly 3 hrs a day to eat breakfast lunch and dinner, relax, and take a dump in the bathroom--That is...when I wasn't studying on the john...Those closest to me can attest to my workload. It has been one rough semester.
In any case, I knew I just didn't have the time to study for exams--really study...the kind of studying that gets A+ grades (which, sadly, it has been a long time since I got those kind of grades). Instead, I developed a study plan in which I could still pass all my classes and not have a mental breakdown (though I found myself singing out loud to myself throughout the day to some of my favorite songs stuck in my head [the killers christmas lineup is good around this time of year]--I'm not known to sing outloud very often).
In my study plan, for how I would pas my classes, I would devote my full attention in class during the study and review sections--I did not take notes, because notes are often my own interpretation of what the professor is saying. I focused on figuring out what my professor was thinking, I tried to memorize, word for word, what my professor was saying or at least emphasizing. Again...I did not take any notes; this was all done in my head. I gave 100% attention to the prepared review lectures, and I gave 100% to participating in any group review sections the professor put us in. That included sharing my ideas, asking and answering questions, refuting and debating ideas that were on the table, and being basically a model student.
A week went by and I did not study anything. I was too busy refining my papers, to care, and when I wasn't refining my papers, I made an oath to myself that I would relax. I played a lot of video games late at night, I watched a few movies--things I never get to do. I approached that week and a half with the attitude that: "If I haven't already learned what the professor wants me to learn, then no amount of studying and cramming is going to help me right now." --as a side note, I am a model student... I do my best to make class enjoyable and learnable, I ask a lot of questions, meet with professors after class, answer questions, &c. I learn.
So during my no-stress week, I wasn't stressed. I was having the time of my life, and all because I wasn't working on anything that I didn't want to. Everything was grand, everything was great.
When the exams came this week (one a day mon-wed), the night before, I reviewed the syllabus to make sure I could remember everything we study in the course. This was mostly to make sure I knew the names of books and stories, and the names of main characters and authors. During the exams, I sailed! The questions that were asked, answers came to my mind so quickly. The wording and writing, it all formulated in my head so clearly and easily. I was quite surprised. While everyone around me in the testing room was stumped on what to write, while they were staring blankly, scared, at the black writing on the white paper, I had already formulated my answer and was deep into it. Needless to say I finished the test 30 minutes early. When I looked up at the clock I got a puzzled look--I'm never the first one finished with an exam, and I've never been 30 minutes early. These weren't easy questions either. So I went back through and reread my responses. I practically revised my essays in 15 minutes, inserting necessary details and changing things that didn't make sense, and then I didn't have anything more to do or say, so I turned them in. This happened on all of my exams.
My analysis of what happened is simple: because I was not stressed out, my brain was working at perfect performance. Because I wasn't trying to recall the information in my notes, but instead the memorized emphasis' and key lines that the professor spoke, all of that information came to the front of my mind so easily. And because it was so easy, I felt confident the whole way through my writing. That confidence helped me to formulate a concise answer to the questions that covered the most important points. I was surprised as I reread my responses because they were so clear and so detailed--some of my better writing! Most importantly, I walked out of those exams feeling comfortable with my answers. It's not something I stress about. Normally, I would have been worrying all this week and next about what score I received and if I passed the class or not--not this time. I have managed to work wonders this week--I feel like a magician with all of the things I managed to accomplish, because my life has played out magically.
Stress brings you down. Take it from me. I've committed myself to live a less stressful life. I suspect good things are going to happen from it.
A big grin on my face right now, wish you could see it!
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