The Crazy Way I Saved The Semester
Not for the faint of heart.
It’s finals week, and I have no idea what to do.
English, French, CS… those are the little guys. But microeconomics? Linear algebra?! I’m not ready for that shit! What’s worse, I failed Calculus in the first semester. I can’t afford to mess up this time.
I had to get my shit together.
The first exam was microeconomics. I had around 3 free days to revise. That’s more than enough right? Sure, micro can be a bit complicated. But this is the part where it’s supposed to make sense. Everything will suddenly become clear and that voice inside me will start telling me “See Aziz? If only you studied just a lil’ bit everyday. You’d be getting good grades without all this needless stress.”
Of course, I’ll get an okay grade afterwards and ignore the voice of reason inside me. All while feeling like a boss for passing this course with a couple of days work.
That did not happen this time though. Things went dead wrong.
This exam was done by a professional. A professor feared and hated by TBSers. For she has the power to make or break your grade at her whim. I wasn’t going to pass this one with 2 days work, not with Salma Cheker around.
Indeed, I hadn’t. I only knew for certain later. But I already realized it the moment I left the examination amphitheater.
It was definetely a shock, however. I had a few days to prepare for microeconomics, and it was a catastrophe. How will I fare with other courses? Most of which I had only half a day to go through.
It reminded me of Stalin at the start of Operation Barbarossa. Hitler pulled a surprise attack on the Soviet Union and completely decimated them. The USSR was about to fall. Stalin was in utter disbelief, he was not ready for this.
But just like the Man of Steel, who put 20 million of his countrymen in graves to save the fatherland. I was willing to do what it takes to save the semester.
The next big fish was accounting. I was good at it, but I certainly needed to prepare. I wasn’t going to let my pride get to me this time. Except it was a different enemy now: procrastination.
Hours passed. I had Iftar, I watched Ramadan’s lame TV shows. Still, I didn’t start studying. I was feeling sorry for myself at this point. “It’s too late now. It’s not your best day, Allah ghaleb”.
Suddenly, I felt a strong urge to do something. Fueled by anger and frustration, it hit like a good bitch slap that shook me out of my sorry state.
NO! I’m not failing this. I’m studying right now. No matter what it takes.
I knew it would be difficult to stay up all night cramming for this with no sleep. Even if I did, I’d probably be drooling by the time I get the exam paper tomorrow morning.
So I concocted a solution. Armed by random knowledge I learned over time that suddenly all connected together to make the killer combo I needed.
I wore my sneakers and went running in the middle of the night. You see, running is known to improve cognitive functions as well as induce a feeling of euphoria and awareness. So, I ran for 30 minutes.
Starting to sound crazy? This is just the beginning.
Next, I passed by the local coffeeshop and ordered an expresso. I needed to stay awake. Caffeine reduces fatigue and prevents sleep, so yeah.
The final ingredient was a cold shower. It’s scary. For some, it sounds like torture. For me, it’s absolutely refreshing. Once the freezing water hits your chest, you forget everything and start moving involuntarily. I prefer to turn it into a dancing session.
Once I left the shower, I felt like I can do anything. I was at my peak mental state. Oxytocin, dopamine, adrenaline, caffeine and all the feel good chemicals were running high inside me. Accounting here I come!
I studied for 7 hours non stop. I made use of the pomodoro technique to not burn out. That means I focus really hard for 25 minutes, then take a break for 5, and start over. It absolutely improved my productivity.
It was 8AM, and I had to go. I did what I could, now let’s see if this works. Keep in mind I didn’t sleep that night. But somehow I was still feeling fresh.
The exam was somewhat challenging. There were certain things I didn’t get. For the most part though, I did alright. Only later I knew I got a B. Not bad, for a last minute revision.
It felt like having a superpower. I could do anything I would set my mind to with this. And at this point, linear algebra was the next target.
Now maths is not my cup of tea. It takes time, a week at least, to familiarize myself with the concepts. A lot of practice excercises to be somewhat capable at doing some on my own. So, will the concoction work with this?
I couldn’t afford questions. I had to get working ASAP. So I went with the same drill for 2 days. Doing my best and studying like my life depended on it.
And it paid off. I got a C in linear algebra. More than enough I say!
I was relieved to be done with school on good terms. It’s true that microeconomics was a big failure. But hey, half the school failed it too! Somehow that makes it feel alright. :)
Being the responsible writer that I am, I advise against doing this at home. Seriously though, if you want a formula for success in school, you have to go with tried-and-tested regular revision. This is only a last minute, break glass in case of emergency kind of solution.
I would love if this helps a TBSer who may be struggling someday with an exam or tough homework. But I wouldn’t want it to turn some students into drugged up freaks.
Anyways, hope you liked my story. Thanks for reading!
