Exams are just around the corner and students are feeling the crunch. From late night study sessions to early morning coffee runs, anxiety levels are mounting--for better or worse.
Daniel and Cheryl Albas are a husband and wife team of researchers in the department of sociology at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. They have been studying student behavior for more than 20 years, and have found that anxiety is "a double-edged sword" this time of year.
"Everyone has heard of students 'blanking out' during exams. This happens when students amass too much material in too short a period of time. They don't really know the material, and the anxiety they feel makes it even worse," says Daniel.
After observing students writing exams for many years and talking to hundreds of students about their experiences, the Albases have classified students into categories in terms of their performance.
The first category consists of the "rapid runners," who begin studying from almost day one.
"While most people approach exams with the feeling of impending doom, the 'rapid runners' are more optimistic. They are thinking, 'Finally, I am going to get my reward.' The exam is not an enemy for them, but is instead a challenge," says Daniel.
In contrast to the "rapid runners," the "plodding pilgrims" are focused on denial. For them, the exam is simply "not going to happen," even when it is.
"They deny that time is an important feature. For them, there is always tomorrow. Students in this category are more likely to engage in 'frittering'--doing everything else but studying," says Cheryl. "Plodding pilgrims" are students with a "woebegone look" who haven't showered, who occasionally show up in something akin to pajamas and who generally exhibit the most confusion.
"I've heard one student say, 'C is for cookie and that's good enough for me.' These students do things that are self-defeating and disparage those who work hard," says Daniel.
Finally, there are the "bombers," the extreme "plodding pilgrims" who end up failing because they have put in so little effort.
The Albases stress that although these are the dominant characteristics of the students they have studied, the categories are on a continuum and students may exhibit characteristics at different levels at different times. They have found that study habits are not always correlated with intellect and that students can move from one category to another--even the "bombers" can change!
"It's true that success comes from one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration," says Daniel.
But sometimes, studying seems not to be enough. This is where "magic" comes in. According to the Albases, many students resort to their own made-up magic or superstitions during exams, such as wearing something lucky, or sitting somewhere special. The Albases report students eating lucky foods, using the same pen they used to write their class notes because "the pen knows the material," and even refusing to sit next to a red-head because that is unlucky in the student's mind.
"There are students wearing crosses, Stars of David, special rings and other mementos. We have even heard stories of students who bargain with God to do well on an exam," notes Cheryl.
While magic may be nothing more than students constructing their own rituals for good luck, the Albases say that magic can work by decreasing anxiety and keeping students at the optimum level of performance. But in the end, they say, there is no substitute for "thorough and competent" studying.
"What you do will influence what you get. Remember it's in your own hands, not in the stars."
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