An easy mid-term exam

I studied so hard for Zen course. I used a pen to take note in class, and typed them in computer as the second time arrangement and study after each class. Before the exam, I spent three whole days to study those materials of this course. I made index cards for every potential identifications and essay questions. I reread the textbooks and did research from the Internet. There was a group study before the exam, but it was not necessary for me.

The middle exam was unexpected easy. I was preparing to fight with a tiger but final found a cat coming. I understood what the professor concerned about. For many American students, this topic is so difficult and unknown. It is impossible to understand it through three or four months studying. Moreover, in the modern society, in America, how much time a young student, for example, who majors in international business, will put on such a topic? Zen is a field that demands a person’s whole life time to involve.

Yesterday when I was walking into my Chinese Class, a strange girl came to talk with me. She said she had a same class with me last semester. She failed that course and this semester she was taking it again. She asked me if I could give my mid-term exam to her. I said I could. However, she kept asking me many questions about the exam. I told her most of the questions should come from the class note. She said she had no class note because she rarely went to the class. She also told me for the writing assignment, she borrowed others’ papers from pervious years and handed them in as hers. I was surprised and asked, “Can you do that?” she answered, “Of course, the professor is careless. He has given one paper back and said nothing.” An unpleasing feeling was rising in my mind. I told her I would go back my home to check my old materials, but I could not promise anything.

Last time, another classmate asked me to give my papers to her. Because I have talked with her several times, I countered her as one of my friends and emailed two of my papers to her. I asked her didn’t copy it but only used them as reference. However, when I talked that with Antony, he said if she asked your papers, the only purpose was to copy them. I believed he was right. When I told him about this girl this time, Antony said she was not only bad on grade but was a bad person. Men always are more realistic and rational than women. I think that is their strength but also weakness.