Fun With Finals

We all sat outside 216 Thomas on Friday before our Math 416 final. I didn't even bother to look inside the room, but I'm guessing another class was taking a final in there. I only had to get a 40 on this test to get an A in the class, so I wasn't very concerned at all, and I had pretty much no stress going into the test.

Nicole, Fan and I talked for a while before the test. Then when we went inside, the only two seats open next to each other (pretty much) were in the front right corner of the classroom, so Nicole and I took them and sat down. I think I tried to look out the window to the mall between Thomas and Ritenour but I'm not sure.

At one point I turned to Nicole, and very conspicuously said, "DUDE, Nicole, did you SEE the e-mail that he sent like two minutes before class?" I paused a half-second for dramatic effect. "I am TOTALLY freaking out about this. Oh my god." And then I looked back, and all six people in the three seats behind each of us were leaning forward with bugged-out eyes, wondering what the hell could have been in said e-mail and what it would mean for them.

Of course, I was completely kidding. So I turned to them and just said, "Haha, nah, I'm just playing with you. Everything's cool." They laughed a little bit and looked relieved. Nobody punched me in the face or anything, so I consider this joke a success.

//

I needed an 89 on my Stat 510 final to get an A in the course. I was pretty sure that I could do that, but not totally positive. When I actually took the test, I was feeling more and more unsure that I would actually come out of it with an 89. I was thinking that, if I had done well, I would write at the end of the test "I LOVE YOU JOHN F*****!" [where the last part is my professor's last name]. However, I was afraid that he might take off a couple points on the test if I did write that, and I guess I just wasn't willing to risk getting an A-. So I didn't write it.

I got a 90 on the test.

I wonder what would've happened if I'd written I loved him.

I wonder if he'd have been confused when he realized that "I LOVE YOU" and the course evaluation that said "I learned nothing from this course and never had to think once" were in the same handwriting.

//

My Middle Eastern history professor is pretty unique. You have to meet her to really understand why this story is so excellent to the people who were there. She kind of looks like Mrs. Grotke from the Disney show Recess, except she dresses in colors other than green sometimes. She's very very calm, kind of zen-like, except definitely not Buddhist in her beliefs at all. She always speaks very quietly, and in her most absolutely excited moments, the most she will do is turn her regular talking voice to different tones to make it a little bit sing-songy.

Anyway, it was Friday before finals and we were having an optional review session. I wasn't even supposed to be there because I was taking the take-home final and this was really only for the in-class kids. At one point, a kid a row or two behind me asked, "Does spelling count? Because I definitely know the material, but sometimes with names and stuff I'm a little shaky..."

And my professor just stood very calmly and looked at him, kind of looked away, looked back. Not staring him down or condescending, just kind of searching for her words. And calmly she said, about five seconds later, "Well... we are in a university."

And the kid didn't really like that answer. In his same tone as before, he continued, "Yeah, but I mean, it's just spelling, do we..."

My professor continued on, as if the kid weren't even talking, and said, "I have this argument with my fourth grader every day..." [Whoa! Kind of a burn, dude!] "...it's not that your point won't come across, it's about how people will perceive you. You want to come across as the educated person that you are."

I think he continued on, but her stance was clear.

//

My goal for the semester was to not get a 4.0. It's not worth it - you have to do too much work, but you don't learn anything. I got one A- this year. I suppose I met my goal, but I still feel like I didn't go for my goal hard enough.

Live and learn, I guess.

Peace out.