How to Be a Good Student

My history final was this past Thursday and it's a test I was a little worried about. The exam was two part. The first was a word-bank quiz; what I mean by that is there were 20 fill-in-the-blank questions and at the top of the page there were 30 key words to pick from. This sounds pretty easy but can be difficult if one doesn't study well enough. From the lectures and the text book[1] there are well over a hundred people, places and terms that we covered in the last segment of class and we have no idea which 20 he will choose. All of the previous test were the same format but he chooses a wide range of questions, so there's a lot to try and memorize.

The second part of the final is an in class essay. In class essays kind of suck. It means you really have to know what you're writing about because there's no chance to look up any facts or even re-write some things. The professor, who's name is Dr. Kyle[2], gave us a handout a couple of weeks ago with five essay questions. On the final he chose two of those five and then we chose one of those two to write about in a 'blue book', which I purchased ahead of time from the book store. So out of the five questions, I can choose four to study really well and omit the one I feel less comfortable with and I'll be safe because I'll know at least one of the questions is on the final.

So based on this, I formulated my study strategy. Since part of the final is the word-bank quiz I adjust my note taking to cater to that. Basically I used a "key-word" system of note taking. When ever the prof mentioned a person or event or place, etc, I jotted it down and why that thing is significant. So to study I just had a list of key words to try and memorize. I read through the essay questions and two of them I really didn't feel good about, so I decided not to prepare for those. I know this is dangerous and ill-advised, but I like living life on the edge[3]. So I study pretty well for three of the essay questions by writing out a really good outline for each and I hope that one of them is on the final. And I know that your thinking I screwed myself, but as it turned out, the question I felt strongest on was one of the two on the final.

I had a full week from the last class until the final and I decided that I would commit a good two hours a day working on this until I felt comfortable enough to take the final. To my surprise I was done by Monday. I already felt really comfortable with everything I thought I needed to know. This was well ahead of schedule but after my study session Monday evening I was feeling pretty good about things. But, I'm so naive that I think that is good enough. Monday to Thursday is plenty of time to forget everything. But I'm committed to doing well so I make a plan to show up to class an hour before the test and I'll look everything over again and get refreshed on my key words and my essay outlines. That way everything is readily available in my short term memory bank for immediate and total recall. I was so stoked about my chances as I walked into school that morning.

Though I had planned to be there an hour early, there was some parking issues and I ended getting there at 11:15 instead. But that's cool, 45 minutes is plenty of time. As I sit down outside of class I notice there's another class in our room. That's odd because I thought the class before us would have taken their final on Tuesday, but I didn't see anyone I recognized so whatever. But now I've got to thinking, "what if I had the times wrong? Ha, that would suck." To be safe I go ahead and pull out the handout with the essay questions to double check the start time of the test, and..................oh shit. HOLY CRAP, THE TEST STARTED AT 11:00! HOLY CRAP! I'm now in a complete panic. I've lost all of the study time I had planned for and I'm not sure I can remember everything. And what if he won't let me take the final because I'm so late.

I pack everything back up so I can go in. Only the door is locked and I have to knock and cause a distraction so the professor can let me in. I apologize for being late and he simply hands me the exam. I sat and started looking things over, and immediately double my panic level. NOTHING looks familiar. Did we cover this stuff? I don't remember anything. It's question 11 before I find an answer I know and I ended up guessing on about half of the word bank questions. This is not good. I flip over the exam and look at the essay questions. I just know he's going to have the two I didn't prepare for (I would have looked at the essay questions as soon as I got the exam but I was so afraid I put it off as look as I could). I'm so relieved to see the one I felt strongest about. This is good, maybe I can make something out of this test anyways. So I reach into my back pack to pull out my blue book.... um, I reach into my back pack to pull out my blue book.... um.... damn it. I can see the blue book still sitting on the dash board of my truck. Oh my god this day sucks!

I can't ask anyone around me because they're in the middle of the test so lurch myself up to the front and tell the professor that I left the blue book in my car, and ask what I should do. "Don't worry I brought some extra, I knew there would be some of you." Some of you? He thinks I'm one of them. So, this is my reply: "Also, my pen is messing up, do you have happen to have an extra?" His eyes roll as he hands me a pen.

All things considered I can say the day was a wash. On the one hand I completely failed the final but on the other hand I'm done with school for the semester. So all in all, not a bad day. Seriously though, I had such a good plan. I was going to be so prepared. I was being such a good student, perhaps even the best I've ever tried to be. And on a simple misunderstanding[4] I became a horrible student. I became one of those students.


1. Did not open.
2. On the first day of class he called roll. When he called out my name he said, "with that name I expect big things from you." I let that man down.
3. To be truthful, my risk-taking often stems from laziness.
4. Maybe it was my fault, maybe not. Let's not split hairs here.