Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Logic of Finals

Next week is finals week. Many students are stressed out, particularly the 1Ls. Some of them may be disappointed for their grades last quarter. They are committed to studying harder to get better grades this quarter. But does that logic hold?

Let's approach this like an LSAT "If-Then" statement:

(A) "If I study harder, then I will have a better grade this quarter."

This statement assumes that my grade is correlated with my effort. Input leads to output. But what about this statement:

(B) "If I take time to rest, exercise, sleep, and take care of myself, then I will have a better grade this quarter."

This statement assumes that my grade is not a product of how much of the material I cram into my head, but how I prepare myself for a stressful day. Why should (A) be true over (B)?

Threshold issues exist, of course. I can't do well if I veg out and don't know the material at all. I also can't do well if I study so hard that I show up to the exam completely exhausted and unable to focus.

But maybe neither (A) nor (B) are true. Maybe instead:

(C) "My grade is not within my control and does not dictate my future happiness. If I wish to be happy, then I will not worry about my grades."

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