What your exam week preference says about you

Exams weeks. You either love it, or hate it. Well… loving it might sound a little bit crazy, but everyone has a preference when it comes to the layout of their exam week. So, in order to create a good SOG* moment for you, let me present what your preferred layout for the exam weeks says about you! 

All exams in the first week 

Wow… I wish I was as organized as you are. You will have read the course syllabus before the course even started and you made a proper planning in week 6 just so you can study already. Because really, preparing to be ready for an exam on the first Monday of the exam week can never start too early. 

Okay, maybe there's another reason why you want your exams in the first week. You just love to have the feeling of a mini-holiday before you start the next quartile. Oh, and also, you just love to tell everyone that you have a week’s worth of holiday, when other people are struggling on Atlas Blue. 

My advice for you: Go crazy on the drink on the first Thursday of the exam week! Life is good, your exams are over, and you deserve your rest. People will judge you, but who cares, they need to worry about waking up tomorrow at 7 a.m. to study again. 

All exams in the second week 

Okay, so you are the total opposite of the people mentioned above. You just like the freedom of having no classes (where you regrettably fall asleep a little too often). You come to campus before the rest of the ‘gespuis’ to get your shit in order, and have your dinner prepped to have an effective day studying. In your breaks, you often go down to the Internaat to complain that you have many of days of studying left before your exams and getting that same snack you have been taken the past few days as well. You are, however, protective of your weekends: weekends are for partying, and studying is for sure not a party.  

My advice for you: cook yourself something delicious for lunch or dinner when you do have those study days. When you eat it, just imagine that others are sweating their ass of in an exam, while you are just having the best time ever.  

Your exams spread as much as possible 

You are the textbook example of mid-maxing. You live for efficiency (pro tip: consider doing an Industrial Engineering master if you’re still unsure what to do!) and have tactically thought out when you start with what. You just live and breathe one course at a time, are an expert in that for the exact time the exam takes, and then you become a different course. A real chameleon! 

On top of that, you give yourself some time to have a fun break in the exam week itself. You will have coffee with that friend you haven’t spoken to in too long, play some round of Mario Kart, or just not show up to campus for a day. 

My advice for you: Make something great out of those break moments! Really go crazy, boy do I know that exam weeks can make you go crazy. Laying on the couch playing yet another round of Mario Kart won’t do you too good, so go outside, have drinks with that one other friend who has finished all of their exams, or take a good power nap! 

Your exams are planned, but you just don’t bother showing up 

I feel like this is a very underrated option. Following your course and then just not doing the exam is an elite move that shows that you are just there for the knowledge and that ECTS does not motivate you. Well… Maybe you should have come to those Friday morning lectures a bit more often so that you could have easily done the exam without studying one bit, but oh well, Thursday evenings are important as well.  

My advice for you: You are such an academic menace, I’m not sure if I can give you any tips. But if I would have to, make sure you drink tea every once in a while. The balance of something that gives you a little energy (to maybe wake up a bit earlier) and calms you down every once in a while, (because let’s be honest, you need it) is something that is good for all! 

You do not have exams 

Huh wait since when do Bouwko students read the Intermania??? 

Okay, enough jokes. You probably are doing only CBLs this quartile, are taking one less course (pop off queen, treat yourself), or are in fact, being carried a bit far into your technical specialization. You know, I think this is the situation everyone is jealous about, but deep down also do not want to be in. We are at a technical university after all, and being in group projects can be a hassle.   

My advice for you: You really deserve all the rest you can get. Your social battery is drained, you probably have no will to live anymore, and all seems to go down. Go take a break and explore a new city, go to a spa or go to that place you have always wanted to visit! 

I hope this gave you a better insight into what kind of student you are. Use this knowledge to your strength, you might figure out that, in fact, you do love the exam weeks in some shape or form. Good luck studying (or not)! 

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* SOG = Studie Ontwijkend Gedrag, which means Study Avoidant Behavior