Blog #3: Exam Talk

So it comes down to this.

This is my third blog entry for the day. Keep reading after the end of this post. Please cast a vote in my poll, on the right hand side of this blog entry. Also, I have office hours tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30, possibly longer if numbers warrant.

The final exam for English 1080 is on Friday, December 12 @ 9 a.m. in the Phys. Ed. Gymnasium. My students go to the left just as you enter the gym. Look for me standing there in the back of the rows where you’re supposed to be sitting.

There’s not much left to say at this point that hasn’t been already said a half dozen times, but there is likely some full-blown, and half-blown, anxiety going on out there, I’m sure. So I’m hoping to calm some nerves by talking a little about what to expect.

First, I’ll be having office hours Thursday afternoon, the day before the exam, starting at 2:30 and ending (most likely) at 3:30, depending on how many people show up. I’ll certainly stay longer if there is anyone waiting to see me. In fact, I’ll stay until there’s no one left to see, just as I’ve done all semester long. Friday morning, I’ll try to be around before the exam, but I need to be in the gym well before exam time just to get things set up.

The exam has two parts, Part A being “Poetry” and Part B being “Short Stories”. Make sure you flip over the page because there are two sides to the exam just as there are at least two sides to everything. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to answer ONE question from each section, for a total of TWO essays.

Make sure you’re writing the correct exam: the one with MY name on the top right hand corner.

The questions are straightforward, but make sure you understand what you are being asked to write about, and focus on answering the question directly. The idea, of course, is to show me what you know about the two stories (or poems) as it pertains to the subject I’ve given you to write about. Remember: the questions are designed for you to show me what you know, not what you don’t know.

It’s a two and a half hour exam, so take time to get your thoughts together by making notes to yourself before you begin. You’ll need about an hour to write each essay, with a little time left over. If you’ve had certain problems all semester long (especially comma splice, sentence fragment, tense shift, and passive voice), make sure you take time to go back over the essay and make corrections.

VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you write TWO strong essays. Don’t spend all your time on the first question and leave yourself less time for the second one. Your grade will probably suffer if you don’t manage your time well. I’ve seen far too many exams in which a student wrote only one good essay and ran out of time for the second one. So time management is crucial once you’re in the exam room. By 10:15 a.m. or so, you should be starting on the second question. I don’t care which order you do them in, just make sure you clearly mark which number you’re answering, as well as which section.

How to prepare? For the short story section, just know the tales really well. If there’s one that you don’t feel strongly about, you’re not likely to use it on the exam. But I would re-familiarize myself with four or five stories, paying attention to the details, maybe some images, symbols, quotations, entire scenes, and so on that stood out during the semester when we talked about these stories. When you’re writing the exam, you should be able to envision how the plot, or character journey, goes from beginning to end, focusing on the key moments (with some detail) along the way. This trick will be immensely helpful when you’re writing and trying to recall certain parts of the story, giving yourself more and more to talk about as you go. If you focus on the literal and/or figurative journey each character takes and how the character has changed by the end of the story, then you will be well-prepared. (Of course, remember that no character exists in isolation: feel free to discuss other characters as well, showing how they relate to what you’re proving about the protagonist, or even a minor character. It’s always your choice as to which characters you will discuss.)

The same is true for the poetry, of course. We talked about them quite a bit in class, so certain images, symbols, word choices, and other poetic techniques should stand out in your mind as you re-read. You should be familiar with the poems as much as possible, enough so that you can do a comparative analysis of two of them. Certain poems go really well together, while others are more of a stretch, but might prove to be an interesting contrast to one another on an exam—your choice. Don’t just try and memorize the poems. It will work better for you if you go through each poem, word by word, line by line, and figure out what it means for you that way. It will make more sense to you now than it did the first time you read it or we read it together in class.

Again: there’s no substitute for knowing the literature (both stories and poems) really well. Success is rarely dependent upon luck (like crossing your fingers and hoping for the right questions). Success is more likely if you have a game plan, just as in any sport or competition or test of one’s self.

In a way, that’s what this is all about—you’re being tested as much on how you react to adversity as you are on the stories themselves. The vast majority of you will probably do just fine in that regard. All of you, I hope, will at least be able to say, when this is over, that you can look at yourself in the mirror, knowing you at least showed up and tried your best. For any exam, 95% of the work is done before you even show up in the classroom.

I’ll be blogging at least once more before the end of term, likely after the final exams have been written, just to sign off for the semester. Meanwhile, if you have question, feel free to e-mail me at gnc@nf.sympatico.ca.