I don't need to panic and think I will fail in life if I get less than 100% on an exam.
One of my Microbiology professors nixed this one for me...
"In real life, darn straight you'll have the book on front of you! Important stuff you look up. You don't guess. So all my tests aren't just open-book, but bring your notes. Any and all. Whatever works best for you. Period. Also, you've got a question? You ask your labmate, or me, or anyone else you thinks knows the answer. Just like you'd ask a colleague. This is real life, people. I'm testing accordingly. You can't cheat. A perfect score doesn't mean you memorized everything. A perfect score means you utilized your resources appropriately and came to the correct conclusion."
<grin> I loved his tests. 3 hour blocks, and the durn things were exciting. Satisfying. Confidence building. Thank you, Prof. Allen Farrand.
I came into college 'late'. Been in the military and been in the private sector for several years. And it's true. In virtually no case ever is a person locked alone in a room and asked to spout correct answers to complex problems with no assistance.
He was the first of many of my professors which recognized the artificial nature of tests, and actively sought to circumvent it.
I never understood the school v real life thing... Until that moment. Because school
was my real life. Hello! I'm not imagining this! (It would be much more fun, for one). And then it hit me: Oh. It's because we're being taught things that are the
exact opposite of what we'd do in real life. (Don't ask for help, you're not allowed to look at you notes... Vs you're expected/required to ask for help if you need or want it, and durn straight you'd better look up what you don't know!) Light. Bulb. Ahhhh.