In Ancient Rome religious officials called haruspexes would sacrifice chickens, cutting out and inspecting the animal’s entrails to try to tell the future. And they were still more productive than people who try to predict which section to skip on the exam. Because at least the haruspex ends up with a chicken dinner. Some people claim that skipping sections of the course helps them concentrate on the rest, and you know what? I think some of them even believe it. Which only makes it more tragic.
Here’s a hint about that idea: skipping something you need is never a good idea! Things are on the course for a reason. You can save some time and effort by skipping chapters 7 and 8, but you can save even more time and effort by skipping all four years of university. Just give them a pile of money for nothing. See how that doesn’t sound so smart?
Skipping sections only makes things harder. It increases pressure on every other part of the exam, artificially inflating the marks per question (and therefore increasing the importance of getting every single one right). Sorry, I should be more accurate: it increases pressure completely pointlessly. Most first year exams don’t have negative marking, so there is no benefit to skipping a section. Half marks on a question is many, many more marks than zero, and makes it that much easier to pass.
Study every section. Read your course. Think about what you’re doing, and what you want to do. Include it all so that you’re armored against every question that can come, instead of scared that they might ask something you’ve given yourself no hope of answering. Skipping a section is how you give yourself a giant glowing red weak point. That doesn’t work for video game characters, and they live in a virtual worlds of fantastic impossibility. It certainly won’t work for you in real exams.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s the attitude. If you’re skipping sections you’re telling yourself that this course, this whole degree, is just a chore that you’re trying to finish. Which will only sabotage all your efforts in every section. This course isn’t a job, it’s an upgrade, it’s training, methods, and mental conditioning to make yourself significantly better at something than most other humans. Which isn’t going to work if you walk up to work one day and say “Oh, sorry, I decided not to bother with that bit.”
Skipping something you need is never a good idea!
Here’s a hint about that idea: skipping something you need is never a good idea! Things are on the course for a reason. You can save some time and effort by skipping chapters 7 and 8, but you can save even more time and effort by skipping all four years of university. Just give them a pile of money for nothing. See how that doesn’t sound so smart?
Skipping sections only makes things harder. It increases pressure on every other part of the exam, artificially inflating the marks per question (and therefore increasing the importance of getting every single one right). Sorry, I should be more accurate: it increases pressure completely pointlessly. Most first year exams don’t have negative marking, so there is no benefit to skipping a section. Half marks on a question is many, many more marks than zero, and makes it that much easier to pass.
Study every section. Read your course. Think about what you’re doing, and what you want to do. Include it all so that you’re armored against every question that can come, instead of scared that they might ask something you’ve given yourself no hope of answering. Skipping a section is how you give yourself a giant glowing red weak point. That doesn’t work for video game characters, and they live in a virtual worlds of fantastic impossibility. It certainly won’t work for you in real exams.
Finally, and most importantly, it’s the attitude. If you’re skipping sections you’re telling yourself that this course, this whole degree, is just a chore that you’re trying to finish. Which will only sabotage all your efforts in every section. This course isn’t a job, it’s an upgrade, it’s training, methods, and mental conditioning to make yourself significantly better at something than most other humans. Which isn’t going to work if you walk up to work one day and say “Oh, sorry, I decided not to bother with that bit.”
