[Mick]

[quote author=akiddoc link=topic=9773.msg87085#msg87085 date=1396496931]

I applied to only one college in 1974. Lived in Canada and didn't really know any better. My parents refused to pay for a UCB application. Said it wasn't that good a school. If I had not gotten in, I would have attended the U of Manitoba. On my first paper, 1st quarter at Stanford, I received a 2 out of 5. Intro to Philosophy with Mothershead. Shocked me to the core. Taking that course wasn't a smartly planned move, but in the end it changed the course of my education. My Philosophy TA took a liking to me and coached me through the course. I gradually learned to write a semi-coherent paper. I entered the final with a B-, but aced the final for an A. Same thing happened in Physical Chem. Aced the final after coming in with a B. That TA taught me what was expected of a college student at Stanford. I took a lot of philosophy courses at Stanford, which put a drag on my GPA, but my interviewer from Yale Med was totally impressed that I had taken all of those classes and let me in. Funny how one choice at the beginning of freshman year can change your life.

http://historicalsociety.stanford.edu/pd...sheadJ.pdf

In the ned my unusual memory saved me. Probably I was too intimidated or naive to reach out for help but I received none.  Two instances:

I completely blew off Phys. anthro (my major) and missed the midterm.  Not so good.  The night before the final I staggered into UGLY and found the text book, and flipped through it.  One open page caught my eye; a collection of photos on one side and descriptions on the other.  The next morning I opened the blue book and began.  The first few essay questions were easy to fake through, but the last one was worth 50%. Tell what you know about these objects.  Damn, right from that page, and the image floated into my mind.  So I just copied what I saw in my mind.  When I handed it in I made sure Prof. Gerow knew I had been there there the whole time and had not cheated.  He gave me an A and a B in the course, with a note on my blue book, "this happened once before and I believe you."

The other time was in Italy.  In what was becoming a pattern I blew off a course in Italian art.  The night before the final I snuggled into bed with a bottle of wine and the reference book.  In the morning I pushed the book off my chest, got up, and went to my doom.  Damn.  First question:  what can you say about this piece?  I just pulled up the page from the night before and quoted it.  A.
[/quote]


My first job, I worked for an incredibly smart man who essentially blew off most of his accounting classes to play golf his senior year.  On the first day of class, the professor told the class that the final exam was essentially worth 100% of the grade. There were other tests and homework, but your final grade would be determined by the final.  My boss skipped every single class, read the textbook the weekend before the final, aced the final -- and the professor gave him an F...  He must not have read the fine print...

[Mick]

[quote author=akiddoc link=topic=9773.msg87085#msg87085 date=1396496931]

I applied to only one college in 1974. Lived in Canada and didn't really know any better. My parents refused to pay for a UCB application. Said it wasn't that good a school. If I had not gotten in, I would have attended the U of Manitoba. On my first paper, 1st quarter at Stanford, I received a 2 out of 5. Intro to Philosophy with Mothershead. Shocked me to the core. Taking that course wasn't a smartly planned move, but in the end it changed the course of my education. My Philosophy TA took a liking to me and coached me through the course. I gradually learned to write a semi-coherent paper. I entered the final with a B-, but aced the final for an A. Same thing happened in Physical Chem. Aced the final after coming in with a B. That TA taught me what was expected of a college student at Stanford. I took a lot of philosophy courses at Stanford, which put a drag on my GPA, but my interviewer from Yale Med was totally impressed that I had taken all of those classes and let me in. Funny how one choice at the beginning of freshman year can change your life.

http://historicalsociety.stanford.edu/pd...sheadJ.pdf

In the ned my unusual memory saved me. Probably I was too intimidated or naive to reach out for help but I received none.  Two instances:

I completely blew off Phys. anthro (my major) and missed the midterm.  Not so good.  The night before the final I staggered into UGLY and found the text book, and flipped through it.  One open page caught my eye; a collection of photos on one side and descriptions on the other.  The next morning I opened the blue book and began.  The first few essay questions were easy to fake through, but the last one was worth 50%. Tell what you know about these objects.  Damn, right from that page, and the image floated into my mind.  So I just copied what I saw in my mind.  When I handed it in I made sure Prof. Gerow knew I had been there there the whole time and had not cheated.  He gave me an A and a B in the course, with a note on my blue book, "this happened once before and I believe you."

The other time was in Italy.  In what was becoming a pattern I blew off a course in Italian art.  The night before the final I snuggled into bed with a bottle of wine and the reference book.  In the morning I pushed the book off my chest, got up, and went to my doom.  Damn.  First question:  what can you say about this piece?  I just pulled up the page from the night before and quoted it.  A.
[/quote]


My first job, I worked for an incredibly smart man who essentially blew off most of his accounting classes to play golf his senior year.  On the first day of class, the professor told the class that the final exam was essentially worth 100% of the grade. There were other tests and homework, but your final grade would be determined by the final.  My boss skipped every single class, read the textbook the weekend before the final, aced the final -- and the professor gave him an F...  He must not have read the fine print...