Alright, guys, so I had my “Introduction to Psychology Exam 2” today, and let me tell you, it was a journey. I figured I’d share my whole prep process, start to finish, in case it helps anyone else out there facing down a psych exam.
The Initial Panic (and Procrastination)
First things first, I got the study guide about two weeks ago. Did I start studying immediately? Of course not! I glanced at it, felt that familiar wave of “oh god, that’s a lot,” and promptly went back to binge-watching something on Netflix. Classic me. This went on for, uh, maybe a week longer than it should have.
The Scramble Begins
Okay, so about a week before the exam, the mild panic started to set in. I finally printed out the study guide and my notes from class. My notes, by the way, were a mess of half-sentences and random doodles. Step one was deciphering my own handwriting.
Organization is (Sort of) Key
I knew I couldn’t just stare at pages of notes and expect it to magically sink in. So, I grabbed a bunch of different colored highlighters. I went through everything, color-coding by topic. Yellow for key terms, pink for important people (so many Freuds!), green for studies I needed to remember. It looked like a rainbow threw up on my papers, but hey, it was a start.
- Textbook Chapters: Re-read the assigned chapters, focusing on the sections highlighted in the study guide. I tried to skim the first time, BAD IDEA. Had to go back and actually read.
- Practice Questions: Found some practice questions online. Some were super easy, some were ridiculously hard. But it helped me get a feel for the types of questions I might see.
- Flashcards: I made a huge stack of flashcards for all the vocabulary. This part took forever, but honestly, it’s what helped me the most. Repetition, repetition, repetition.
The Late-Night Cram Session
Of course, despite my “organized” efforts, I still ended up cramming the night before. I stayed up way too late, fueled by coffee and the sheer terror of failing. I went through my flashcards over and over, quizzing myself until my brain felt like mush.
Exam Day!
Woke up feeling like a zombie, but I grabbed my lucky pen (it’s purple, don’t judge) and headed to class. I took a deep breath, reminded myself I had done some studying, and dove in. Some questions were easy, some were tricky, and a few I’m pretty sure were written in another language. But I powered through.
The Aftermath
Finished the exam, walked out, and immediately felt like I’d forgotten everything I ever learned. Post-exam amnesia is real, people! Now, it’s just the waiting game. Fingers crossed all that highlighting and flashcard-making paid off. We’ll see how it goes!
I am sure I will pass this exam!
