I took a test on Friday.
I didn't really expect a lot of tests at the grad school level, even in the courses that are foundational, meaning the classes that all of the others classes kind of build on. Thus, in my early Christian history class, I guess we have to be tested on Augustine's view of baptism because we may talk about it in some other class.
Anyway, because I see a lot of school like any other task, I find out what I need to do to make a decent grade, and then plan accordingly. I spent about a week or so studying and took the test yesterday. I think I did pretty well. We'll see in a week or so.
For me, this trip towards a master's degree is primarily one of utility. Now that CoolPeopleCare will be my main line of work for the foreseeable future, the need to have a post-graduate degree on my resume is not as great as it was before. As such, I pretty much go to class when I feel like I need to (all of the lectures are online) and make sure I write well and perform well on my tests.
Most of my classmates are not in this boat. They're at Vanderbilt Divinity looking to excel, fill their minds with knowledge, and then move on towards a Ph.D., teaching, or leading a church.
And so, it always amazes me as to how people study and stress. At 8 on Friday, I was pretty much ready. I don't say this in the boastful sense, but again, I did was I had to and was ready. I hate cramming so I avoid it at all costs. Meantime, there were folks who looked like they had been up since Wednesday and forgot where their shower was. Some people were rifling through notes and writing down definitions and dates. I was glad I was prepared enough to watch academia perform its diverse idiosyncrasies for my amusement.
I still think tests at this level are stupid. Regurgitating data in an age of Wikipedia and Google is like writing with quill and ink. I'm looking forward to next year when we get to read and weigh in with some original thoughts.