I have just finished one of the MOST miserable weeks in recent years. It was the first week of midterms and finals (the block, aka 1/2 semester, just finished.) This week began with a mid-term in Finance on Monday and then our accounting final in the testing center (Don't EVEN get me started on the lameness that is testing centers - all kinds of germs and smells associated with 500 students taking tests at the same time, cramped quarters, UGH!)on Wednesday & Thursday. Add to the midterm madness all of the pressure associated with "the NAC" dinner and mentoring sessions and it was ONE stressful week.
I went into the mid-term on Monday really confident. I had a practice test on Saturday morning and it went really well. I had my 1 page help sheet ready and I was prepared (thanks in a large part to a 2nd year student who has been tutoring a few of us girls). I was going to ace this test. Unfortunately the one item I failed to write down on my study guide was of course the one thing that I totally blanked on Monday afternoon during the midterm and was worth 1/3 of the test - OUCH!!
I was pretty bitter, but mostly just MAD at myself. I know this material, yet somehow when it comes to taking the test I just blanked. I was made that it seems like no matter how much I study, I am still failing. It is not a feeling I am used to, but I am beginning to embrace it. I started to wonder what the point was in studying, etc as it seemed like those with 80% and 40% got the same grade - a B.
I didn't have time to take my accounting final on Thursday due to the NAC dinner (I am still not 100% sure what the NAC does - as far as I know they are a bunch of people who donate A LOT of money to the Marriott school , end of story.), so I had to take the test on Wednesday. I studied for several hours and then went to take the test which accounted for over 60% of my grade for the class.
Apparently I studied ALL of the wrong things. I spent hours studying the formulas that are used for various financial ratios (current ratios, # days purchases in inventory, etc). Turns out that was some SERIOUS wasted time. Our professor gave us the formulas on the test. LAME!!! The actual final was about 50 times harder than the practice final too. I was not happy. After 3 hours working on the test, I decided I had had enough. I felt like I did okay, but not great. Then I got my score.....46% - YIKES!! Our professor told us that the average was 70% historically. WHATEVER! I as not thrilled with my performance, but I was SO relieved the class that sucked up 50% of my studying time each week was finally over that I didn't even care.
After talking with my classmates, I wasn't anywhere near the class low, nor was I anywhere near the top (some people actually got 100% - LAME!), but I managed to pull out a B in the class and my motto is "B's get degrees!" and I was right - why have a miserable existence reaching for an 80% when a 40% will get you the same grade?
3 comments:
Don't worry Con, the math department motto was C's get degrees (I think some even went as low as D's get degrees) so you are keeping higher standards than that! :) Congrats on surviving and completing your first MBA courses. You are amazing!
Glad you made it through! Grad school is quite the experience, isn't it? I don't think anything is quite as intense as grad school seems to be. Hang in there. It doesn't last forever, even if it feels like it might. Love ya!
Seriously Connie I miss you! I love reading your posts! They always, always make me laugh!!
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