Finals Week

It is finals week. Usually this means I would be seeing a lot of students in my office, proctoring some exams, and avoiding grading tests to no avail. However, this semester, this week my experience will be more like my students'.

Tonight: 125 question exam on the last 1/4th of the class. I went in feeling a bit underprepared and felt the exam was much better written (and more difficult) than previous exams. I ended up doing well (94% and high score) but I should have known the ones I missed (that is, they were fair questions and I just didn't know the answers).

Wednesday: My honors student defends her thesis in front of the department. While this is really her time to shine, I get anxious too as in a way I am on trial up there with herl (that is, if she does well it reflects well on me and if she bombs it means I did not properly prepare her).

Thursday: Final written exam for the EMT class. The instructor keeps changing his mind between 225 and 250 questions. Either way that is a LOT of quesitons. I have a lot of studying to do for this.

Saturday: State practical exam.

I'm getting a little tweaked, and while I can sympathize with my students a bit more, I have to confess that most of the stress associated with exams is self-induced and fully under my control. I have to fight hard not to get compulsive about the academic material. I HATE missing questions and this is just nuts and I need to relax a bit.

I'm drinking a beer and going to bed.