An Issue of Perspective

Quizzes make up 30% of the grade in my physics class. Until today I'd been nothing short of immaculate on them. In fact, I'd even gained the rarefied bonus points that were available.

But today revealed a chink in the armor of my physics knowledge: components of torque and angular momentum. I missed lunch to be sure my lab report made some coherent sense of the data collected from the day before, so my mindset was a bit distracted. Sitting down to the quiz I scribbled down vectors and typed away at my trusty TI 84, and I was unstoppable! ...for about three questions. Out of 11 questions, there were three that threw me for a loop (centripetal pun intended). This equated to upwards of 3 questions wrong! It was as though the world was screaming, "call the media, the juggernaut of NIU's summer physics is down..."


...let that soak in for a second.


Yep. That paragraph explains how I thought the world was coming to an end after a 72% on one quiz. A 72%. By all accounts and purposes, that is a passing grade. Not only that, but we get to drop one quiz score from the semester for our average...

As I look at it now, I don't think the score was really what frustrated me about the quiz. In fact, I went in knowing that this was probably the quiz that I'd drop for the semester. I think what really got to me was the fact that there was a concept that I let slip through my fingers. I dropped the ball (yes the rolling jokes continue) on angular momentum and torque.

So here's what I truly gather from what transpired earlier today:

Firstly, it is miserable that I would let a 72% on one quiz get me down. I don't think I've been this finicky about a grade since sophomore year of high school. There will be stumbling points along the way, that is what experimental science is all about! Trial and error. If something doesn't work the first time you dust it off and try it again. I will be sure to keep my grades in perspective from here on out.

Secondly, I like the fact that I can be harsh on myself about not knowing a concept. Looking ahead, I know that my success (or failure...) as a doctor will depend on my knowing and understanding of the concepts that are placed in front of me. Not having the determination to cope with and remedy my weaknesses could negatively impact someone's health in the future. That's why malpractice suits were invented. ;)


And on that note, it's time to keep on keeping on. Time to rework some torques and study the next chapter. <--- Yeah, that's a link with a clever way to tell you what the next chapter's on. I think I'll start including these more often. Easter Eggs yo, Easter Eggs.