Exams Over!

Well yesterday was the last of my university exams.
After nearly three years of effort it's all over.
Now I just have to wait to find out my final results.

I've learned a lot.
About how things started and spread all over the world.
About how people came to understand what life is all about.
And I've even learned some ancient Greek as well!

I've learned a lot about me - and about other people too.
The last time I was at university I used to hate writing.
Now I've discovered I quite like writing.
Although I'm not so keen on writing exam answers!

It's a funny thing about exams.
They count for 60% of each course assessment.
But we only ever have to write about 30% of the course.
There are 10 questions; one for each week of the course.
But we only have to answer 3 questions.

In fact, one exam we only had to answer two questions.
But that meant we had to write for an hour for each question.
That was instead of the usual 40 minute answers.
I HATED that exam!
And that course resulted in my worst marks in both classwork and exam marks.
Not surprisingly. 80% of what I knew was unexamined!

And you can't tell which questions you will like.
Or whether you will have revised that exact topic from the week's lectures.
In the chaos of studying 3, 4, or even 5, subjects each week, it's very hard to make enough to time to review lectures, consider the subjects carefully, and commit everything to memory.
No, it's just get this week's tasks done, and then onto the next week.

So when it comes to exam time it's all rather much of a lottery.
Some people choose to revise only certain weeks of the course.
It's a gamble.
If the questions on those weeks are tough questions then tough.

That was too risky for me.
I always revised the whole of each course.
But then a lot of my revision was 'wasted'.
Although maybe I'll remember more of it in the long-term!

There must be a better system than these dreaded exams.
But who would do the research to prove it was better?
The staff don't want to do anything that would be more work for them.
The students can't be trusted to come up with a rigorous assessment.
And consultants may well just be after their fees.

But if anyone wants to ask me - I've lots of suggestions!

Anyway, for me the trauma is over.
It was all worthwhile.
A degree of some kind is in the bag.
I just have to wait to find out what kind.

And when I do - you'll hear about it!