It’s that time of year again…
Comments(5) Sorry for being MIA for the last little while! I’ve been meaning to write, but the task was always shoved to the bottom of the pile.
My midterms start tomorrow! I’m sure some of you have already suffered the banes of university life. Luckily, my schedule is treating me well…1 tomorrow, 1 on Tuesday, 2 the following Wednesday, and then the last one of Thursday!
I know I’m lucky, because I’ve heard of some pretty harsh exam pile ups. Which begs the question, why can’t we apply for hardship during midterms, and only during finals?
I could write a whole persuasive essay on the practicality of why midterms can’t be moved, but I think Dr. Shelley Reid, my CLST 301 prof, sums it up really nicely:
“Your bachelor’s degree is worth much more than the sum total of your knowledge of biochemistry, organic chemistry, or even the meaning of the root term for the belly-button*. It is instead evidence to society at large (including those who decide whom to admit to medical/dental/nursing school, if that is your goal) that you have developed particular skills, such as the ability to cope with the stress of competing—and possibly even conflicting—demands, and to cope with grace and finesse. Partly it is a matter of time management, but it is also a mental activity: we all know that the weeks around midterms and final exams are stressful, and by surviving them you show your ability to handle both your time and the stress of competing demands.”
* [Editor Note: in CLST 301, we learn the Greek and Latin roots of medical and biological terms]
To me, this is a really inspiring way to look at our stressful situations. I’m constantly reflecting back on the instances when I was so fixated on achieving something, a detail which now seems irrelevant and almost pathetic. We need to look at the bigger picture, and not get rooted in that one stressful day, that one hectic week, or that once-in-a-lifetime horrendous exam schedule. Even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time, there is always a small skill to be learnt out of every experience.
Good luck with your exams!
While I understand the value of this sort of practice (handling stress & time constraints) in fields like medicine, I find it fascinating reflection on our society that we consider it an employable and highly desirable “skill” for everyone. I would not suggest this practice should be set as the standard for a happy, healthy populace…
Good luck on midterms!
One of my TAs told me about the same thing last year, along the lines of “Your bachelor’s is not a qualification of education. It is a qualification that you can put up with 4 years of shit.” I could only glare back.
Hey! I was wondering if you could maybe write a little blogpost on CLST 301? (like course load/how to study/syllabus details) There’s not really much information out there about it (besides the course desciption on the calendar) so i think i’d be really helpful for those of us who are thinking about taking it, thanks! 🙂
@ Miriam: Interesting thought! I suppose there is no way to escape society’s norms, in any situation. Hope you exams are going well too!
Hi S.R.!
That’s an interesting idea! I will write reviews of all my courses/profs at the end of the term…is that what you meant??? There is one blog that I’ve come across, but it was done by a student in 2009, and they basically typed all their notes onto a blog for everyone to see. I’m still trying to figure out the point of it. Be wary of using past material for CLST 301, because Dr. Reid regularly mentions that she changes things up a bit every year.
Thanks for the suggestion!
Zahra