The Quiz That Changed My Mindset
When I was a first-year student, I used to think that everything must go my way, including my classes and plans. I still remember that in my first semester, I dropped a class after a few weeks in because I got an 8/10 on the first quiz, and I thought it was too bad. A few weeks after that, I also got the same quiz grade in another class, but I was unable to drop it because it was too late. At the end of the semester, I did so well in the class that I achieved my desired grade, an A. What lesson did I learn from these two classes? Looking back, these two experiences taught me that a bad quiz or exam never determined my true potential or future. Many times, you don’t know the professor’s exam style or the structure of the question, or what they expect from you. If you are in this situation or know someone who is, I hope this blog serves as a guide.
I now see that in the first few semesters of college, I didn’t use the right strategies to approach my classes, especially classes that required a lot of memorization. To be honest, I didn’t know of any strategy other than note-taking, which I used during high school. The problem is, it takes a lot of time, and sometimes it doesn’t work at all. After that, I tried using Google to find new study strategies and came across “active recall.” Active recall is a learning method in which you actively retrieve information from memory, testing yourself by putting it back into your memory. It is one of my favorite strategies right now. I like making flashcards and practicing every morning. It turns out it works very well for my classes, especially for those that require memorization, such as General Biology classes. Some other courses, such as Physics or Statistics, still require you to practice questions because you can’t memorize them.
At that time, I also started using many campus resources, such as the Learning Resource Network (LRN), which offers free tutoring for the subject you struggle with. They are invaluable not only with the concept or material, but they also help you to find some studying, as well as testing strategies that work for you. When times get hard, and you feel stressed, I highly recommend utilizing Counseling Services. It is a confidential service, and all of their staff are very helpful. Also, if your professor offers office hours during the week, I recommend taking advantage of them as much as you can, since that’s when you can ask them questions. I am introverted, so I don’t talk much, especially in class. The only way I can get to know the professor or clarify any concepts I don’t understand is by attending their office hours.
Before, if I did not do well on any exams as I expected, I used to feel like my journey to medicine was done. I thought that one exam would determine whether I could become a doctor. However, when I went to shadow a physician in the hospital, they told me not to give up if medicine is what I genuinely want to do. He didn’t give up either, but he learned from his mistakes and moved on. I also used to compare myself to my peers, but later I discovered that it is not necessary at all. One thing that I always keep in mind is that “my success does not depend on everyone else’s score or achievements, what I can do is give myself a shot to do everything to the best of my ability as much as I can.” When I stop comparing myself to others, I feel much better and have more time to focus on myself and keep improving. Looking forward, I will keep that mindset throughout the rest of my undergraduate journey at Arcadia and in my future professional career. If I could go back to my first year, I would tell myself to never give up on the first exam or quiz. Everyone’s journey is unique, and we are here to learn from each other and grow together. One message I want you to take away from this is: don’t let anything stop you from chasing your dreams if it is what you genuinely want to do.
