Monday, July 23, 2007

Three and a half days may less than ten minutes

The midterm exam of the American history was done in this morning. I didn’t do well on it. In fact, my exam was terrible. We had to finished five identifications and two essay questions within one and half hours. Because we got the certain questions in class rather than before exam, for me, the time was very limited to think carefully. I was unable to organize it well but just wrote down what I knew. I believe I did well on one essay, but for another, I have no confidence on it. Unlike the professor of the first session of this summer, who gave us questions before exam, this professor’s review sheet included everything that we have discussed in class. I through his review sheet was meaningless; everything means nothing.

It was indeed a bitter experience when I recalled how the recent a couple of days were. After I received the review sheet last Thursday, I employed all my time and energy to work on it except necessary eating and sleeping. I used eight hours from 12-8 that Thursday to find out the answers of those fifty-seven potential identifications; used the Friday to find out the answers of those four essay questions; I didn’t do all the nine because the time didn’t allow me to do that. Even though I had the answers on my hand the Friday night by my rush works, I was unsatisfied by them; obviously, they were too simple to win a good grade for me. However, at that particular moment, I could require too much.

On last Saturday, I started to study on those IDs. I tried to memorize the contexts, names, places, times, and the spellings of many new vocabularies. Yesterday, the last day, I studied on the essay questions, same job as working on the IDs, trying to memorize everything. I was not specific dislike the task, but the problem was time. I guessed I needed two more days to make my answers looks nice. Unfortunately, I was forced to involve into a poor situation because of my undesirable English ability.

I went bed at 12 am and got up at five am to do the last minute study. I felt so tired and wanted to give up, but I knew I had no choice. I went the class at 8 am, writing down what I knew regardless what the professor wanted. This was the whole story. I didn’t do well on the exam but I would never complain myself.

After the exam, I talked with one of my classmates. She said she didn’t study at all. She arrived to the class at 8:05, and she glanced at the class notes ten minutes outside the classroom and rushed into the exam. I knew she went to the church every weekend, but I wondered why she studied not a little at night. She said she went to dinner with friends yesterday night and returned home at 11 pm. Also, she said, “I learned a lot from the lectures.”

What I am doing is to use three and half days to compete with ten minutes. I may still lose. On a pervious exam, she got an A+, and I got an A. the realist is ruthless. Nevertheless, I fully understand the fact. Many years ago, while I was reading Chinese novels in SanTai, she was studying English.

I believe I will do better on the final exam because I gained experience from the midterm and also figured out the style of this professor. I wish I can pass this course with a not too ugly grade. However, even not, it is still ok.

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