I crawl into class feeling like I wanted to slip into some deep despairing hole. The number 80 kept echoing in my head. I tried to comfort myself by reassuring myself that 80 is still a passing grade. But it wasn't the same and deep down I knew it. The professor mentioned that at the end of class he would go over the test but in the meantime he wanted to start the next lesson on the Revolutionary War. The whole time he sounded like Charile Brown's teacher. Whaa whaa whaaaaa! Wha wha waaa! I kept thinking that perhaps I didn't know history as well as I thought I did or else I would of done better with my grade. I was totally in a ziltchy mood.
The time finally came to check out our grades. Most didn't know what they received yet. When he called out my name to get my results I felt like he was an executioner sealing my fate. I already knew what the scan sheet was going to say. Our professor tells us that we can look over our exam and if there is an error on his part or if we can share with him how we came upon our answer then maybe he would adjust our grade. Yea right, I thought, I don't think my grade can be adjusted. Over half the class left when they got their grade. A small handful stayed behind. I opened up my test and reviewed where I errored.
The first few questions I looked at I realized my mistake. It was me not thinking things out and answering too quickly. I deserved some of the wrong answers.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed some of the students approaching the professor to inquire about their wrong answer. The professor listened to how the student got their answer and adjusted their grade. Uhmmmm, perhaps I should show him a question or two. Unfortunately, most of my wrong answers seemed deserving. That is until I came upon question number 42.
According to the text, there were far fewer slaves in the North than in the South because:
a) Northern farmers did not grow a staple crop like tobacco
b)Puritan's were opposed to slavery on religious grounds
c) First generation African slaves could not tolerate the cold climate
d) all the above
I gave this question some thought. Choice A: Yes, that is true. They did have larger farms down south than the north. The north mostly had factories but I never knew of slaves working at factories.
Choice B: From reading Uncle Tom's Cabin I remember reading something about where a person told an escaped slave to find shelter at a Puritan's home because they are against slavery. That could be a correct responce too.
Choice C: I remember the time when my native Mexico born wife of my dad had visited a few times in Michigan during the winter and she cannot seem to warm herself up. Her body is not regulated to our colder climate. Also when my husband travels from Laredo, Tx. to British Columbia and has a 50 degree temperature change in two days he has a hard time adjusting. Just like when we northerner's come out of the winter and the first 45 degree day we are all wearing shorts. In reverse, in the fall going into winter the first 45 degree day we are wearing jackets and hats to keep warm. Being that the question was in reguards to the FIRST GENERATION I could see where they would have a hard time keep up and having a low production especially coming from the west Africian heat. True, it is far fetched but it is still in the ballpark of a possibility. Well, perhaps the parking lot of the ballfield but close enough.
Given my thoughts on the answers I chose D, all of the above. I got it wrong. The correct answer was A. I approached my professor to give him my imput. He didn't like my idea on why choice C could be an answer and we agreed to disagree on that. But he did see how I could of also picked choice B. I reminded him that he said if 2 choices could be an answer than more than likely the answer would be D, all of the above. So he gave me the point for it. I was so excited about that. Getting points for that question made my day. Knowing that bit of trivia about the Puritan's not liking slavery helped my grade even though the professor never really talked about that.
A handful of students gathered around the professor talking over a few more questions. I was able to get a few more right answers that were once wrong by seeing their point of view. I kept feeling better and better about my grade. He said he would post the new grades later on that day.
Late that Thursday night I hopped back on to the computer. Come on, Chip, Chip is what I call my computer, show me the goods! I thought to myself as I booted up my grades. I looked down the list to see my grade. I was expecting perhaps an 84 or a hopeful 86. That is not what I received. To my astonishment I was given a 96! It was well worth going over the test and talking with him about the answers to my test. This is the score I was wanting to see. Now onwards to the Revolution!
No comments:
Post a Comment