Due to midterm exams, late April is always marked by memories of tests for Korea University (KU) students, whether they be painful or fulfilling. It is difficult to deny that the examination period presents mostly hardships and that there are numerous moments that test students’ limitations. The hardest moments during exam preparation and execution often involve personal struggles, and many students have their own tricks to make it through. Hoping to gain insight into students’ plans to overcome their difficulties, The Granite Tower (GT) asked four KU students about their most difficult moments during exam time and the stress reliever that help them to survive.
Lee Seo Rin (’18, Physics)
Being a Physics major, there are lots of exercises that I have to complete alone before exams, even if I have studied in advance. Moreover, even when I think that I have comprehended the lectures, I often cannot think of a single clue to solve the problem. This emotional distress makes the week before the exams the hardest part of the entire examination period for me. During these painful moments, I endeavor to calm myself down with a can of beer and video clips that I like. Imagining a happier future such as sleeping more than ten hours also helps me endure this time.
Jeong Ki Yeon (’19, Biomedical Engineering)
Rather than a particular period, those moments when I am disappointed with myself truly devastate me. When preparing for exams, the most distressing moment is when I realize that I am failing to understand simple lessons that others apparently easily understand. To overcome these moments, I make plans that I can stick to and attempt to keep them. No matter how small they are, carrying out the plans that I have made helps me to get through difficult moments during my exam preparations. Most of all, once I complete my plan, I try not to unnecessarily worry.
Shin Yu Jeong (’20, English Language and Literature)
Personally, the toughest moment during exam week is when I begin studying. There is a well-known saying, “Well begun is half done,” which I totally agree with. Therefore, whenever I start studying for exams, I become absolutely obsessed with taking in everything that the professor mentioned during class into my head. To cheer myself up during the stressful exam period, I shop online during exam week, rather than after the exams are over. I purchase my favorite items via internet shopping malls because anticipating their arrival alleviates my stress.
Choi Youngin (’21, Business Administration)
As a freshman, I have not yet experienced exam week at KU. Looking back on my high school exams, however, I was most stressed when I felt that I had fallen behind my classmates. Attending a boarding school, I had no choice but to keep watching how long and intensely other students studied, strengthening the academic pressure I felt. When I faced this burden, I destressed by chatting with my friends. Talking to my friends in well-organized cafes or restaurants helped me to endure the hardships that I faced during exam week. Moreover, having a goal led me to persist despite these difficulties.
