Final exams

[trinacriabob]

Yech!

For those on the semester system, final exams are right around the corner. Mine start on Wednesday night and I have two others, all at night time, within a week from that because I am in an evening program.

I have been burning the candle at both ends, ending up at coffee shops with my books from 11 pm to 1:30 am or so since I find myself cat-napping at weird intervals. The upside: I will be DONE with finals, and with my degree program, in less than 10 days. I think I can manage.

What about you? Big finals load? Are you coping / what do you do to cope?

[CSpec]

You have finals at 7AM? That's absurd!

I have one final this year, at 4 PM on Tuesday.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Unfortunately I'm experiencing the same afflictions...

One final was a take home; I'll quote my instructor on this one so you can get a feel for it yourself: "A good paper will be anywhere from 30-35 pages." We've had 4 of these "take home exams" this semester. I've already been through a lab final (piece of cake) and my Managerial Accounting final (which I only needed like a 48 on to get my desired grade)

This week brings my last 2 finals and the due date for my last project. I think I've been more busy this semester than ever before. The lab required a weekly project, the accounting class required pop quizzes, nightly homework and 3 projects, the 'take home test class' had 4 tests and 2 projects, and my other two classes, combined, involved 6 projects throughout the semester. That's not even counting my very passionate involvement in Relay For Life

I have been burning the candle at both ends, ending up at coffee shops with my books from 11 pm to 1:30 am or so since I find myself cat-napping at weird intervals. The upside: I will be DONE with finals, and with my degree program, in less than 10 days. I think I can manage.

What about you? Big finals load? Are you coping / what do you do to cope?

My girlfriend is an architecture major and will often stay in studio literally for 3-4 days at a time (except to come home and take a shower) At the end of her final critique she slept for something like 16 hours because she had been up for so long. It's cool though, I often find myself going into school after I get off (11-12 at night) to work on things and hang out with them (It's a small program and it's like a family) When we get tired we go to the "rave room" which is a critique room that we have fitted with a strobe and some speakers or Room 290, which is a small stadium theatre of sorts where we can put on a DVD and work on our laptops; breaks the monotony. We also tend to go on walks around the campus at night and explore the academic buildings (most of which are unlocked) for cool $h! such as basements and tunnels since the heating sytem is campus wide.

'Coping' is serious business for me since I get so tense and wound up. I often find strees relief in watching a good movie or being somewhere in nature and relaxing or going out with friends. I think it is essential that we not forget to just have fun

Edited May 7, 2007 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[Intrepidation]

I have a final project for Advanced Animation due Tuesday...I've been working on it for weeks and I still don't know if I'll get it done in time. I have a Photography final due Wednesday. It sucks. Hard.

[trinacriabob]

Economics and Business law in the morning, Tuesday off, Wednesday Accounting in the morning, Thursday Statistics in the morning, Friday Math in the morning. After that, I'm done for the semester.

What I don't understand is why so many of these classes have finals at 7:00 and 7:30 in the morning. At this rate I'll be lucky if I'm awake enough at the end of the week to remember to wear pants.

Having done a business curriculum in undergrad, that's a handful.

B Law is always easier if it's MC or T-F because you can spot the concept rather than have to memorize and apply it.

Econ can be all over the map since the way they test is all over the map. There was this douche bag that taught the upper division micro-economics course at my small private alma mater and her tests were all ultra-theoretical essays. On one test, there was a question like "With diminishing utility, you could grow the world's food supply in a flower pot. True or false" and about 4 questions like this made up her test. Many students who had near perfect averages had this pint-sized little witch put a dent in their GPAs. I avoided her by going to one of the Cal State campuses in Southern California and taking it during the summer and transfering it back in.

Accounting - well, that's always been fun for me. Like a puzzle.

Statistics - ok if there is a cheat sheet allowed. One cannot memorize this crap. Let's get real.

Math - I got through calculus even though I could never visualize what a derivative or an integral was actually doing. WTF.

GOOD LUCK, WMJ !

[Oracle of Delphi]

Been there, done that! 20 years ago!

[trinacriabob]

My girlfriend is an architecture major and will often stay in studio literally for 3-4 days at a time (except to come home and take a shower) At the end of her final critique she slept for something like 16 hours because she had been up for so long. It's cool though, I often find myself going into school after I get off (11-12 at night) to work on things and hang out with them (It's a small program and it's like a family)

Bleh, been there, done that....I can't believe I subjected myself to that as well after getting a degree in something else. I will never forget the actual shaking from all the caffeine, the sleeping at weird hours, and the sleeping in classes (immediately after a deadline)...the other profs, so long as they were in architecture, understood.

What school is she doing archi. at?

[trinacriabob]

been there, done that

Telephathy, P-C-S, I hadn't even seen your post!

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Bleh, been there, done that....I can't believe I subjected myself to that as well after getting a degree in something else. I will never forget the actual shaking from all the caffeine, the sleeping at weird hours, and the sleeping in classes (immediately after a deadline)...the other profs, so long as they were in architecture, understood.

What school is she doing archi. at?

UNC-Charlotte where she has 3 more years (5 year program) and then she's thinking about UVA for grad school. You both have my respect, I don't think I could pull off a curriculum like that. I mean, I'm dedicated and passionate, but I also enjoy sleeping

Edited May 7, 2007 by FUTURE_OF_GM

[ToniCipriani]

I just finished my exams a while ago and started my new term.

[Northstar]

I have a final today, tomorrow, and on Wednesday. They're physics, Calc 2, and Gen Chem 2. I figure I either know it by now or I don't, so I've decided not to stress myself out over-studying. I feel pretty confident I can do well enough to move on to the next level of courses; I'm already tired of these damn gen-eds and it's only been a year.

[caddycruiser]

Yeah...

Saturday, had Solid Mechanics II followed by Vibrations. Today, I have the third and last, Heat Transfer later this afternoon, then DONE.

So, if I scribble out enough today for a decent grade, all will be well and I'm off to packing and home to the beach.

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I have a final today, tomorrow, and on Wednesday. They're physics, Calc 2, and Gen Chem 2. I figure I either know it by now or I don't, so I've decided not to stress myself out over-studying. I feel pretty confident I can do well enough to move on to the next level of courses; I'm already tired of these damn gen-eds and it's only been a year.

I look at it this way as well... I'll probably spend all of 30 minutes or an hour studying for each of my finals. Research has shown that "cramming" tends to create confusion and that studying right before bed helps your brain store the information in long term memory. Idealistically, studying should be a review as opposed to learning something.

As for the gen ed stuff, yeah that was more difficult for me because it is essentially the same crap from high school, except more elaborate and it was stuff that I had no vested interest in. But once you make the move into major specific classes, it's an excellent experience and becomes much easier, IMO anyway.

[Northstar]

As for the gen ed stuff, yeah that was more difficult for me because it is essentially the same crap from high school, except more elaborate and it was stuff that I had no vested interest in. But once you make the move into major specific classes, it's an excellent experience and becomes much easier, IMO anyway.

Yeah, for instance right now I'm taking Gen Chem 2, but I'll never need it ever again, so what motivation do I have to learn it? Aside from passing/getting a good grade, absolutely none. If it wasn't required, I wouldn't be taking it, and if it was actually something I needed to know later on, then I would be much more motivated to really learn it, but again, I don't ever need it again (thankfully).

[ZL-1]

Yech!

For those on the semester system, final exams are right around the corner. Mine start on Wednesday night and I have two others, all at night time, within a week from that because I am in an evening program.

Mine are still a month and a half away. I only have 2 subjects left to finish the curricular part of my Masters: school year 2007-2008 will be devoted to the Final Paper that has to be turned no later than June 30th, 2008.

Do you have any sort of Final Paper/Assignment/Thesis, besides you final exams?

I have been burning the candle at both ends, ending up at coffee shops with my books from 11 pm to 1:30 am or so since I find myself cat-napping at weird intervals. The upside: I will be DONE with finals, and with my degree program, in less than 10 days. I think I can manage.

The same thing is happening to me (studentslivet är hårt! = a student's life is hard! = a vida de um estudante é dura!). Now that I have had a couple of classes of each subject in Trimester 3, I am speeding up my studying so I see myself working weekends and late every day again. It's for a good cause, so... :AH-HA_wink:

What about you? Big finals load? Are you coping / what do you do to cope?

My exam load isn't that big, but the pressure from work is mounting: I have had some more complex assignments, my boss wants knows that the day I have my Masters I'll be heading out of here, so I am feeling pressured. I am coping with it surprisingly well, though! Feeling like a little kid again since going back to school helps a lot! I had almost forgotten about why I should make an effort in every aspect of my life (there were very rough times in my personal life that have only started getting better last October), but going back to school has brought back the Fire! My main coping strategy is doing 6Km brisk walks each weekend. Also, I'll start heading ot the beach next weekend: good weather is here to stay, it seems

Best of luck with the finals, Bob!

Edited May 7, 2007 by ZL-1

[caddycruiser]

And...DONE! This is the first time of finals that I've ever been done so early, as I usually have them scheduled more spread out and towards the end of finals week, but happy that it's done with. The last one wasn't so nice, but I didn't expect it to be, and now it's just hoping I did well enough overall to keep charging ahead.

Now comes the fun of tearing apart a room that just shouldn't have so much stuff in it for the size, lugging things down stairs, etc., and moving back home to the beach for yet another summer.

Wish everyone well that's still got some exams to go, and best of luck in all the adventures that stem from there

[jlgolden]

Completed my ac-dc circuits class last week. Just took my Trigonometry final about an hour ago. Next up: Pre-calculus in Summer school.

[knightfan26917]

I think it is essential that we not forget to just have fun

And that, imho, is a huge KEY to ALL of life.

I know too many people who, while they had fun in college, tend to take life way too seriously (myself included a number of years ago, anyway) ... and lose sight of how fun life CAN be.........

GOOD LUCK to all of you taking finals!

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Things get complicated when you get past 18" ... Statler Brothers ... 'Class of '57'

[jlgolden]

Ahhh, exams are all done...and there's a two week break before my Pre-Caluclus (summer school) classes begin.

While getting my first degree (BBA - Marketing) I stayed in "tunnel-vision" mode the whole time...seeing only the final outcome - the completed degree - so far down the road. I still managed to have "fun" now and then, and my job was easy and flexible. But the whole college experience was a complete whirlwind (emotionally, financially) and I know I missed alot that was going on around me...I was terribly fixated on completing school. I got the degree in 1998...and here I go again.

The next degree is in my sights. But this time I'm 10 years older with a richer, fuller life than I could have imagined in my twenties. I'm a much different person now. This time, college is more about truly learning, rather than JUST getting a degree. I'm hoping that having a learning focus will make this new journey less stressful than the last. But in reality, trying to balance school, work, and a home life is exhausting. I will try to stop and smell the roses this time.