Think Smart, Be Smart

In one of my first college classes, I had a professor that told us the key to taking exams was, "look smart, think smart, be smart." At first, I thought that this was quite obvious. Then he explained what he meant and I've never forgotten his advice.

He said that looking "smart" was objective and whatever we thought was our best student appareal was what we should wear. In my undergraduate days, I normally wore black pants and a sweater thinking that I looked professional and smart. Now in graduate school, however, I usually wear yoga pants and a college t-shirt because that's what I wear to study and that's how I feel the most comfortable sitting for THREE hour exams. I always try to wear "smart" college t-shirts so I normally rock my Princeton t-shirt and matching flip flops. (What? I love that school. Go visit their campus and see if you don't want to rock Princeton gear all of the time. I dear you.) I am changing it up today and wearing my Harvard t-shirt but still my Princeton flip flops as they are a tradition. Oh, that's another thing, I never wear real shoes. Sick. How can you tuck your legs up underneath yourself with big shoes on? No thank you. And I always wear my glasses, duh. :)

Thinking smart meant having your notes structured in a way that your thoughts were easily located in all of those hand-written pages. It also meant to express your thought pattern because even if you were wrong the professor knew where you were headed and could award partial credit. Partial credit is a taxation graduate student's best friend.

In the end he said that by looking smart and thinking smart then we would be smart. I'm not going to lie, it has worked for me so far so I'm sticking with it.

I also eat chocolate during exams because it helps to increase concentration. There are studies published out it, read up and then get a Hershey's bar, folks.

Here's to my 5th to last exam of graduate school! Sigh. These darn 100% of your grade exams really mess with me, can you tell? :)