I hate exams.

With the school year wrapping up, I've been writing final essays and preparing for exams.  Last night I wrote my English exam.  It didn't go as well as planned.

I got up at 5am yesterday, ready to take on the day.  The coffee was waiting for me, thanks to the built in timer.  I poured a cup, turned on my laptop, browsed around for a bit until everyone got up, got them all out the door and got myself ready for a long day of studying.

First of all, this class was definitely not one that I particularly enjoyed.  16th Century English Literature doesn't really get me all worked up.  Since my degree is a combined degree, I have to take an equal number of French and English credits.  The english credits are broken up into time periods, and you're required to take so many credits from each time period.  Of course, I've saved the best for last....  early literature.  (There was a lot of sarcasm in that last sentence, in case you missed it.)

On the reading list, was a rather obscure English poet by the name of Isabella Whitney.  She's obscure because back in the 15th and 16th centuries, women weren't even encouraged to learn to read nevermind write, so you'll be hard pressed to find much written by women if you're looking back that far.  And trust me...  you're not missing much.

Anyway.  During classes, we spent about 30 minute discussing this person.  She wasn't high on the radar for potential exam questions.  So I thought.

As I was flipping through my notes, in the essence of making the most of my time, I considered whether it worth my time to read up on her or not.  I didn't really have any notes to speak of for her, and to be quite honest, her poetry had not been revised and edited to a more understandable version of English for us more modern people.  I passed her by, deciding to move on to poets we'd spent much more time on.

So, seated in the exam room, I get my exam question sheet.

Part A - worth 30%.

Pick 3 of the following 6 words and write a paragraph etc.

Part B - worth 30%.

Pick of the following 6 passages and write a detailed analysis.

Part C - 40%.  (This is where the problem begins)

Pick one of the following 3 topics and write an essay.

Topic 1 - Isabella Whitney - write about blah, blah, blah.

Topic 2 - Isabella Whiney - write about a different blah, blah, blah.

Topic 3 - Something else I wasn't very familiar with, AND compare this to....  of course....  Isabella Whitney

Are you %&**#$! kidding me?????

As I'm sitting there staring at the sheet, cursing like a trucker under my breath, I realize that my English mark is quickly going down the tubes.

Moving on to today.

Last weekend, I spent about 12 hours writing a very detailed essay for my french class on the effect of setting in french-canadian literature.  I WORKED on this essay.  The only thing I hadn't done was the bibliography.  I left that to tonight - The paper is due tomorrow.

So I sit down in front of my laptop, and press the "power" button.  Nothing happens.  The only sound I hear is my heart plummeting down to my ankle region.  My paper is safely stored on this laptop.  I try again and still nothing happens.  Now my mouth is doing it's best imitation of the Sahara Desert.

I tried unplugging it, hitting the power button repeatedly, plugging it back in.... this went on for the longest 2 or 3 minutes of my life.  Finally, like any self-respecting woman, I started pleading to it.  This seemed to work.  I gingerly pressed that power button one last time, and the cheerful little Apple "bing" rang like music to my ears.  My paper was saved.  

It has now been emailed to my work address, ready to be printed out and delivered safely to my prof's hands.