So, I comp tomorrow… say WHAT?! Seems like for so long, I thought, “It’s so far away, I have plenty of time to relax.” But now, it is here! Truth is, everyone is kindof afraid of failing it, but our professors don’t want us to fail! The comp isn’t meant to be a roadblock from graduation, it’s meant to show you that you have earned your right to move on to the real world. You have studied for 4 years, and now you can show your teachers everything you remember. For those of you who do not attend this fine institution, a “COMP” is short for Comprehensive Exam (Aka everything you have learned in your major). Every major has some form of Comp that must be taken by a student at some point before they graduate. This upcoming weekend has been deemed “Super Saturday,” since it is the weekend in which many majors have chosen to test the Seniors about to graduate.
Seems pretty terrifying, huh?
Here are some things I’ve been telling myself to keep me going:
- Many have come before, and many will come after… And everyone takes the Comp. It is a Tradition, a Right of Passage
- You are not taking a test on new material… As Professor Macdonald of the English Department told me, “you are just thawing out things that you have learned already” by studying and reviewing notes
- Everyone else is just as scared as I am
- Most everyone passes. I just need to make sure I answer every question – even if I have to BS it to some degree (BS standing for Brilliant Speculation of course)
- Some comps like English are designed so that everyone will be able to answer enough necessary to pass – therefore, if you do not know 75% of it, do not fret. Some people may not know the parts you are certain of!
- My professors were just as worried when they took similar exams in the past
- When I’m done, I can focus on the couple of weeks I have left as a college student
- It’s just 5 hours…Think of how many hours of my life I have left after that!
- One day, this will all be a fond memory… (hopefully?)
- Make sure you get some good food and sleep tonight
- I get to party and celebrate with my professors as soon as I’m done
Good luck everyone!