Final Exams Stress!

[Cookeit]

Ahh help!

I am incredibly stressed by this final exam I just took for my finite math class.

I need to get an 80% on the exam in order to make the Dean's list, and I am totally freaking out!

I realize that whats done is done and I can't change that, but now it is getting to the point that I can't study for my other finals because I can't stop thinking about this exam.

What should I do?

Meditate?
Pray?
Eat my weight in ice cream?

[Nolano]

Maybe all of the above....


My finals week was last week, and I already got my final grades. last week was stress week :P
Less stressed about it now that I know I have a 4.05 GPA

[Go? Fencing?]

I finished my last final Sunday night, but I have to wait until January 6 for final grades. The one class I worried about though, the prof emailed me my grade (I passed!) already, so now I don't have to worry about it. My other grades should be far less worrisome.

For me, stress doesn't go away until the cause of the stress is gone, so I was stressed up until I sent in that last paper.

[Morale Officer]

I hated finals when I was in college. The worst was my 2nd time through college taking my Paramedic exams. I believe that 3 weeks before was filled with lots of prayer, some meditation, offerings to the porcelin God, about 2 packs of cigarettes a day, a pot of coffee a day, and a whole lot of stuying. My boss finally took all of my school books away from me the week before and someone else gave me a bottle of booze and we did some Kielbasa on the grill! Honestly, what my boss said was right...if I didn't know it by that point (the week before), I didn't know it and would only hurt myself by going the way I was. I'd do a little bit of prayer, a little bit of "meditation" (go find a nice coffee shop or hole in the wall quiet pub and have a drink with a friend or something), and definitely stock up on ice cream...I'd suggest Chocolate Peanutbutter from Hagen Daas. I know this one won't help much, but think of the Deans List the way I thought about Medic School...if I made it - AWESOME! If I didn't - at least I tried. And BTW...I made it.

[TBean]

And if you don't make Dean's List what will happen to you? Honestly - answer that question. Beyond personal disappointment is there any other consequence? If no, cut yourself some slack and lessen the importance of this outcome. You prepared the best you could and did the best you could - there is nothing more you can ask of yourself. The more stress you put on yourself the less likely you are to do well on anything. Also, if I am not mistaken, you have at least seven more semesters to make Dean's List happen.

Now take some deep cleansing breaths and go eat your weight in ice cream.

[Mr Epee]

Good contribution, TBean.

I, personally, have transcended academic grades.

Grades are for eggs and milk.

[Mergs]

Don't talk to me about stress until you have lived for a period of time with someone you don't know actively trying to kill you. Yes, bodily harm, life force termination, sending you to meet with your God, kinda kill you. Kinda puts things like exams and dean's lists into perspective. I took Differential Equations three times and stressed about passing like you are, until I finally passed (with the final at 6PM, no supper and the TA bringing food into the classroom while we took our final!). And guess what? In 30+ years of being an engineer, I NEVER ONCE DID ANYTHING THAT REQUIRED THAT KNOWLEDGE!!! All that stress for nothing. Why?

MO's right. If you don't know it by now, you never will. Relax. Go work out, have a couple of beers (or other relaxing beverage of choice), listen to some music, find companionship for an evening (or all night) and chill out. Look over, not pour over, your notes one last time the night before and go forth and give it your best shot. What will happen, will happen. Insha` Allah!

[Elendae]

I know what you mean. Supposedly my grades have been uploaded, but they're not displaying yet. I have a pretty good idea of what I got in most of my classes (some of the profs posted grades in two locations) and am rather annoyed at getting yet another gpa killing A-.

In the meantime, just try to relax, spend time with friends, and fence. You'll know soon enough.

[fencerchica]

I realize that whats done is done and I can't change that, but now it is getting to the point that I can't study for my other finals because I can't stop thinking about this exam.

It's just like fencing! "One touch at a time." The previous touch is over, learn from it what you can, then set it aside and focus on the next touch. I also recommend good strong beer as an aid to this process. It's good weather for a nice porter. Mmm...

[MyrddinsPrecint]

At my college, Dean's list was by year. My first year, my GPA was a 3.33, cutoff for Dean's list was 3.333. I was not happy.

I easily got Dean's List the rest of college. In any case, your mother or your academic scholarship might care if you make Dean's List. And It's nice. But grad school will look at your overall GPA, and they'll look at it in conjunction with the classes you took, and where you took them. And besides, first semester is a really hard adjustment, and just about everywhere on the face of the planet knows that. MIT doesn't even keep records of people's first year grades so that, even if asked, they cannot give them out. It's not even that they don't give them out, it's that they can't.

Sometime, during the awake-time, not near any building where anyone is taking an exam, scream. As loud as you can. Until you no longer have breath. It's better when you're doing it as part of an entire campus doing it at the same time, but beggers can't be choosers, and you don't go to Smith (or one of the other places that does the same thing).

[Nolano]

I know what you mean. Supposedly my grades have been uploaded, but they're not displaying yet. I have a pretty good idea of what I got in most of my classes (some of the profs posted grades in two locations) and am rather annoyed at getting yet another gpa killing A-.

In the meantime, just try to relax, spend time with friends, and fence. You'll know soon enough.

It means you just need to balance them out with A+'s!

[Elendae]

It means you just need to balance them out with A+'s!

Kent doesn't give A+'s; otherwise, I wouldn't be worried about it.

[Nolano]

Aww, sad. My A+ saved my GPA from my B+.

[Zasha]

my grades get posted when the professor feels like it. they have every right to grade the seniors and make the rest of us wait--so we can simultaneously worry about the exams we have already taken and the ones we have to take.

i have one last blue book exam tommorrow morning (fourth one) and a paper due by midnight.

not that worried though, probably due to the amount of chistmas cookies and candy going around the dorm. hard to be stressed when you're fat and happy.

[BrianH]

In the real world, your grades are not so important; it's more about knowledge, skills and work habits.

[Mergs]

In the real world, your grades are not so important; it's more about knowledge, skills and work habits.

Amen! All a diploma means is that you are trainable. Grades are only a rough estimate as to how trainable.

[latenight]

In the real world, your grades are not so important; it's more about knowledge, skills and work habits.

It's also very much about who you know. Make sure to get Co-op or internship experience.

[parrythis]

What should I do?

Meditate?
Pray?
Eat my weight in ice cream?

Move on to the next challenge. It will take your mind off the exam.

Seriously, if you're freaking out over whether one exam puts you on the Dean's list or not, it may be time to re-examine your priorities. I have been on the Dean's list. I have been not on the Dean's list. In retrospect - no difference. Really.

[epeelion]

And am rather annoyed at getting yet another gpa killing A-.

Seriously? Most people here are quite happy to get an A-. A- is not GPA-killing. That's a ridiculous way to think.

[Tomas N]

What should I do?

Meditate?
Pray?
Eat my weight in ice cream?

I highly recommend slipping your professor some 100 dollar bills and a nice thank you note about how you enjoyed the class this semester. That is sure to make your grade go up.

Tomas