Crank and Such

I had my exam on Monday night. The instructor was late, of course, so instead of starting the exam at 6:00, we didn't start until 6:20. It was fine. I'd be happy with a B, although he handed out a couple of extra points for his being late, a not insignificant amount given how tight he is with points.

Yes, grades matter. I'm trying to make them matter less in my own head, but they still matter.

Before class, as we waited in the hall for twenty minutes, I was surreptitiously watching people study. (I have a weird aversion to studying in front of other people before exams, so I just stood there, playing on my phone and creeping on people.) It freaks me out how weirdly complacent people seem to be about learning. A couple of lectures ago, a young woman sat through the entire lecture with her backpack on the desk in front of her. She never took out her notes or any paper or writing implement to take notes. She just...sat there.  Before the exam, students were reading over the notes that the instructor sends out (which are incomplete because he wants us to come to class to fill in the blanks). They were reading those, over and over. They had no notes of their own or any flash cards, nothing.

I was telling Dave later, the amount of extra credit that instructors give anymore is unreal and I think is the reason that most of these students are able to squeak by with Cs and Bs. I mean, we've had 20 regular points in this A&P class, plus 5-6 extra credit points. That means that people can bring their grade up 25%-30% just with extra credit points. My patho class is no different. We've had 125 points, plus 18 points of extra credit. That means that you can bump your grade up 15% with extra credit points alone.

What happens when these students move from community college to the big university and have teachers who make you stand and deliver with your grade based solely on a midterm and final? Well, I guess we'll see. (Maybe things have changed at uni, too, and the extra credit train runs right through there now.)

Anyway after the exam, we had a small amount of lecture. The instructor is about three lectures behind for whatever reason (most instructors get behind during the semester), so he's trying to pick up the pace a bit. Fair enough.

Tuesday, yesterday, was a quiet day. I couldn't sleep Monday night for whatever reason, so I tried to get some sleep in the late morning/early afternoon and mostly failed miserably. I had therapy in the afternoon, so I had a half a cup of tea before that. I've become so sensitive to caffeine that half a cup of tea will rev me up almost uncomfortably. That's not a great sign, I don't think. But it is what it is.

After therapy (a not grueling session that made me think that I am with the wrong therapist--sigh), I came home and folded laundry. Dave brought home dinner--Chinese food, with my beloved Chinese broccoli--and we had that.

We made a quick run up to Target after and came home with everything except what we went there to get (3x5 notecards). Of course.

I made it an early night since I was pretty tired.

Today I got up around 7:00 or just after. I made Dave's lunch while he showered. After he left for work, I had a cup of coffee and browsed the internet for awhile. I have some studying to do today, but I am stalling, of course. Maybe I'll stall with some housework.