Finals are always a harrowing time on campus. We have such high-achieving students, and they tend to be perfectionistic people-pleasers. They want to get good grades, they want to make sure they don’t disappoint you.

Grades are perhaps the most obvious yardstick to measure what a student learned in class. Too often, good grades are equated in students’ minds as ‘I am doing a good job in college.’ While I would never want to downplay the importance of classes, I do want to focus on some of the other ways that students ‘do a good job in college’ – none of which they get graded for, but are important nonetheless. I’m thinking about things like:

learning to live with someone in close quarters, and making the appropriate adjustments and compromises that go with it

figuring out who they are, what they believe in, what lights their fire

navigating relationships – whether friend, relationship, family: how can I express what I want and need, and give others as much as is reasonable for their own wants and needs?

questioning their assumptions and beliefs – inside the classroom or out

managing their emotions

practicing self care

making mistakes and learning from them, or overcoming obstacles

All of those things help prepare a student to live well in their years following WFU. And ought to be celebrated too, in my opinion. So help your Deacs remember – and celebrate – all they have achieved that is not graded.

So we’ll close out this week with a few more finals-themed memes. Because laughter is the best medicine.

I wish your Deacs good fortune in the finals to come 🙂

Venn diagram - things in the course, things I studied, things on the exam. (The Exam circle barely touches the Things in the Course circle)Three different kinds of exam takers - Hermione. Ron. And Harry.

Me trying to calculate the minimum percentage I need to pass my finals'I don't know how I failed that exam' starter kit [netflix, phone, laptop distractions]— by Betsy Chapman ’92, MA ’94

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