As exam week approaches, students begin prepping for the looming storm of stress and review sheets, but every student prepares for exams differently.
While some study in little increments every night for two weeks, some pull all-nighters while chugging energy drinks and trying not to pass out. Some scribble on notecards with one hand while creating Quizlets with the other, and some never even bought the textbook or showed up for class.
Spend even one semester in college and you quickly realize most students fall into these broad categories of exam takers.
The “Oh, It’s Exam Week?”
While strolling into class late, this person probably missed about 10 mentions of the upcoming exam, but you take pity on them and slide them the review sheet. One glance at that lifesaving paper and the guy says the classic, anxiety-inducing phrase, “Oh, it’s exam week?” Maybe they’re just oblivious, maybe they’ve just been busy, but this kind of exam takers has to kick it into high gear when he realizes exams are in five days. Bless his oblivious heart.
The “I’ve Been Studying Since February”
Two words: index cards. This person definitely owns a planner and, what’s more, definitely uses said planner. Having kept and organized all the semester’s notes, the “I’ve been studying since February” doesn’t even flinch at the thought of a cumulative exam. With her life perfectly planned and color coded, this person is definitely the envy of all other students and is likely asked for notes on an above-average basis during exam week.
The “Just Leave Me Here To Die”
This person is not OK; please help this person. You will know him or her by the way he or she crawls into class drinking 32 ounces of coffee sweetened with Red Bull. His life is a disorganized array of crumpled papers and late-night cramming. Make sure you smile at this person as he wished for death while lying on the musty library carpet surrounded by psychology textbooks.
The “I’m Going to Wing It”
With confidence brought to you by someone who never bought the textbook, the “I’m going to wing it” is 100 percent sure of getting a 100 percent.
Here is an imaginary, but realistic, dialogue between this person and you:
“How’s studying going for the exam?” said you.
“Oh, I’m not a studier,” said he. “I’m just going to wing it.”
“Well, the exam’s worth 20 percent of our grade so …” said you.
“Nah, I’ll be OK. I just know this stuff,” said he.
Try and warn them, but this person will end up winging an exam they definitely shouldn’t wing.
The “I Haven’t Been to Class Since February”
You haven’t seen this person in about three months, and you may have forgotten they were even in your class. But here they are, attending the last class before exams for reviewing purposes only. They’ll probably ask the “I’ve been studying since February” for notes and be on their way. For never going to class, they probably will make a decent exam score somehow.
