How does "that person" always get 100% on tests?

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coffeesnob

coffeesnob

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No matter how low the class average is, there is always someone who gets a hundred. Seriously, how is that possible?
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They have literally no life, period. No netflix. No spouse or kids for sure. Just study all day and all night.

More power to them if they can stay halfway sane doing it.
 
Smokemont said:
You know those people that are at school studying when you get there in the morning and after you leave for the day? That's how.
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I know a few people like that but they are not getting 100s, maybe slightly above average.
 
coffeesnob said:
I know a few people like that but they are not getting 100s, maybe slightly above average.
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Yeah, those are the people who either haven't mastered their study habits or are really struggling with the material. The smartest people in my class put work into their studying, but they have very balanced lives.
 
coffeesnob said:
No matter how low the class average is, there is always someone who gets a hundred. Seriously, how is that possible?
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I started by setting the tone early. Dominate the first exam, and repeat ad nauseum.

You know how people on SDN complain about getting the same grade every time regardless of what they do? Same kinda thing. You settle into your routine.
 
coffeesnob said:
I know a few people like that but they are not getting 100s, maybe slightly above average.
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Just curious, how do you know so many of your classmates' scores? You're not one of those guys that goes around talking about specific numbers are you? We have a name for those guys...
 
I think a lot of students want to believe those who get 100s study all day long and have no lives/social capacities (I am not one of the 100ers btw) but I don't think that's always the case. I think you need really great memorization, really effective use of your time, and some discipline to always be on top of your **** even when you could slack and still honor.
 
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Sometimes my school publishes an entire histogram for an exam. There's always the obligatory 100, a huge hump around 85, then it drops off to zero somewhere in the mid-60s. And then there is the tiny bump at 32.

I've been caught holding up the tail end of the 60s once or twice, but I've never been the 32. I always wonder, who is that 32? Have I met you? Is it always the same person? Or is it like a special rotating position reserved for whoever had the worst hangover, or worst head cold, or maybe a death in the family that block?

I even tried running some statistical analysis on the 32. It is so many standard deviations below the mean that it is really difficult to analyze. Like a one in a billion kind of event. Like it's a performance that would not be expected in a class of n=200 even once a century. But every exam, there you are all alone.

I've met some of the 100's, and they are hard working, brilliant, and well adjusted. They consistently have either a freakishly good memory in general, or are really good at making connections I don't see. I have utmost respect for them.

But I'm also always wondering about you down there, 32. What's up?
 
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sazerac said:
Sometimes my school publishes an entire histogram for an exam. There's always the obligatory 100, a huge hump around 85, then it drops off to zero somewhere in the mid-60s. And then there is the tiny bump at 32.

I've been caught holding up the tail end of the 60s once or twice, but I've never been the 32. I always wonder, who is that 32? Have I met you? Is it always the same person? Or is it like a special rotating position reserved for whoever had the worst hangover, or worst head cold, or maybe a death in the family that block?

I even tried running some statistical analysis on the 32. It is so many standard deviations below the mean that it is really difficult to analyze. Like a one in a billion kind of event. Like it's a performance that would not be expected in a class of n=200 even once a century. But every exam, there you are all alone.

I've met some of the 100's, and they are hard working, brilliant, and well adjusted. They consistently have either a freakishly good memory in general, or are really good at making connections I don't see. I have utmost respect for them.

But I'm also always wondering about you down there, 32. What's up?
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I was the "32" once (actually a 60, my score was never THAT bad).

It was just that I got lost in the material early on, fell behind, got left behind, then struggled to cram everything together at the end, then eventually drowned in an ocean of anxiety and suffering, couldn't get any work done, and thus failed. After it happened, the school admins accused me of drug addiction and/or a death in the family.

Honestly, I just felt offended by those accusations. Apparently these people think that I'm as stupid as the drug addicts that pull into our ER every day.
 
sazerac said:
Sometimes my school publishes an entire histogram for an exam. There's always the obligatory 100, a huge hump around 85, then it drops off to zero somewhere in the mid-60s. And then there is the tiny bump at 32.

I've been caught holding up the tail end of the 60s once or twice, but I've never been the 32. I always wonder, who is that 32? Have I met you? Is it always the same person? Or is it like a special rotating position reserved for whoever had the worst hangover, or worst head cold, or maybe a death in the family that block?

I even tried running some statistical analysis on the 32. It is so many standard deviations below the mean that it is really difficult to analyze. Like a one in a billion kind of event. Like it's a performance that would not be expected in a class of n=200 even once a century. But every exam, there you are all alone.

I've met some of the 100's, and they are hard working, brilliant, and well adjusted. They consistently have either a freakishly good memory in general, or are really good at making connections I don't see. I have utmost respect for them.

But I'm also always wondering about you down there, 32. What's up?
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Are you me? Reading this was hilarious. I've spent more time thinking about the identity of that underperforming outlier than I'd care to admit.
 
CherryRedDracul said:
Photographic memory.
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This. There are also those who can retain information the first time around compared to the average person who has to read the material 2 sometimes 3 times to understand it.

I have a classmate we refer to as the sponge. This dude sits through a lecture and can literally recall almost everything from the ppt slide without writing/typing a single word. I kid you not, he only studies on the weekends and pulls As.
 
mulberry said:
This. There are also those who can retain information the first time around compared to the average person who has to read the material 2 sometimes 3 times to understand it.

I have a classmate we refer to as the sponge. This dude sits through a lecture and can literally recall almost everything from the ppt slide without writing/typing a single word. I kid you not, he only studies on the weekends and pulls As.
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Is that what he tells everybody, or has someone followed him during the work week to make sure he doesn't study until the weekend? My good friends are at the top of our class, and everybody swears about them having photographic memories. I hear the chatter, but I asked them about it directly and they told me about their extremely efficient, consistent study habits. I think for the most part, people feel so insecure about their grades that they have to attribute someone else's hard work to natural ability. People do differ in how much information they can retain or process in a given time, but I think labeling someone as having a "photographic memory" can be dismissive in the proper context.
 
boogaloo said:
Is that what he tells everybody, or has someone followed him during the work week to make sure he doesn't study until the weekend? My good friends are at the top of our class, and everybody swears about them having photographic memories. I hear the chatter, but I asked them about it directly and they told me about their extremely efficient, consistent study habits. I think for the most part, people feel so insecure about their grades that they have to attribute someone else's hard work to natural ability. People do differ in how much information they can retain or process in a given time, but I think labeling someone as having a "photographic memory" can be dismissive in the proper context.
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It's true, and we've all been guilty of this one time or another. Regarding the classmate - it's true. I'm good friends with his housemate. He plays xbox all week and when the weekend comes, he goes beastmode on the books.
 
I mean, it's impressive how people can study however long they study and pull those kind of scores. I just wish they would be nicer about it. I mean, the whole class knows I'm a crappy student, and I'm upfront about it, so I approached some of these dudes and asked them for some advice. What I got was: "I just review the powerpoints lol."

Perhaps it's true. But I kinda doubt it.
 
Arkangeloid said:
I mean, it's impressive how people can study however long they study and pull those kind of scores. I just wish they would be nicer about it. I mean, the whole class knows I'm a crappy student, and I'm upfront about it, so I approached some of these dudes and asked them for some advice. What I got was: "I just review the powerpoints lol."

Perhaps it's true. But I kinda doubt it.
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Forget them, you'll figure out what works best for you sooner or later. Have you tried switching up your study methods? Transcribing ppt notes to pen&paper, anki, practice questions, printing the ppts and highlighting? Switch it up each test/block until you find your comfort zone.
 
mulberry said:
Forget them, you'll figure out what works best for you sooner or later. Have you tried switching up your study methods? Transcribing ppt notes to pen&paper, anki, practice questions, printing the ppts and highlighting? Switch it up each test/block until you find your comfort zone.
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I tried pen-and-paper transcribing last unit for the second exam, it went horribly, I'm back to computers for good now. I think adding in BRS and Firecracker quizzing will help. I mean, it can't get any worse I think.
 
Arkangeloid said:
I tried pen-and-paper transcribing last unit for the second exam, it went horribly, I'm back to computers for good now. I think adding in BRS and Firecracker quizzing will help. I mean, it can't get any worse I think.
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Perhaps your problem is trying to learn from review sources?
 
Arkangeloid said:
I mean, it's impressive how people can study however long they study and pull those kind of scores. I just wish they would be nicer about it. I mean, the whole class knows I'm a crappy student, and I'm upfront about it, so I approached some of these dudes and asked them for some advice. What I got was: "I just review the powerpoints lol."

Perhaps it's true. But I kinda doubt it.
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I think it's definitely possible to do very well by only reviewing the materials supplied by the professors. In fact, that's probably the best way to do well on exams because it's telling you exactly what the professors expect you to know. Now whether or not that's the best way to do well on step is a different topic. So those people might be telling the truth and possibly aren't trying to be rude (although it all comes down to how they say it).

To do that well on exams it takes a pretty decent memory, multiple passes over the material (with understanding and not just memorizing) and some good deductive reasoning/problem solving skills to figure out those questions on an exam where you're not entirely sure of the answer.

As long as someone is humble and doesn't rub it in other peoples faces, the people that do that well shouldn't be ridiculed. It also shouldn't be assumed that they have no life, because that is certainly not always the case. I agree with what someone above said, that's what we all like to think in order to justify why we got a lower grade than someone else, but it may not be the case.
 
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Arkangeloid said:
I tried pen-and-paper transcribing last unit for the second exam, it went horribly, I'm back to computers for good now. I think adding in BRS and Firecracker quizzing will help. I mean, it can't get any worse I think.
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One thing I noticed classmates doing: neglecting their ppts and going directly to review questions. I think it's really important to have a foundation from the textbook or powerpoint. Once you understand the material completely, move on to BRS/FC. Personally, I went over every slide atleast 2-3 times (if I didn't understand it) before doing qbanks.
edit: slacker beat me to it.
 
mulberry said:
One thing I noticed classmates doing: neglecting their ppts and going directly to review questions. I think it's really important to have a foundation from the textbook or powerpoint. Once you understand the material completely, move on to BRS/FC. Personally, I went over every slide atleast 2-3 times (if I didn't understand it) before doing qbanks.
edit: slacker beat me to it.
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Completely agree with this. Things like Firecracker are made to keep you thinking about a topic that you've already learned over a period of months. A lot of people go through a block, take the test, stop thinking about the material for an extended period, and end up having to completely relearn it later. FC alleviates some of that by forcing you to review old material constantly, but I definitely don't think it should be used as a primary learning source.
 
I use the powerpoints and lectures as a primary learning source, lol. Though perhaps I shouldn't, given how I've been doing.
 
ChEMD said:
As long as someone is humble and doesn't rub it in other peoples faces, the people that do that well shouldn't be ridiculed. It also shouldn't be assumed that they have no life, because that is certainly not always the case. I agree with what someone above said, that's what we all like to think in order to justify why we got a lower grade than someone else, but it may not be the case.
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Yeah, I don't ridicule them, I guess I'm just a hater who's jelly. 🙂

Can you blame me though? I used to be good at one thing, which was studying. And League of Legends I guess, but that's gone now. Now I'm at the bottom of the class. So I'm not good at anything lol.


For what it's worth, I started going ham at the gym again (for the first time since my injury). I think if I can be good at that, not compared to other people, but at least happy with my health and physique, it may help my self-esteem a bit.
 
coffeesnob said:
No matter how low the class average is, there is always someone who gets a hundred. Seriously, how is that possible?
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1. Good study hygiene
2. Using reviews books and First Aid with coursework
3. Porn
4. Masturbation

I have no idea whether Adderall actually helps in memory and retention, or whether that person FEELS like it helps with memory and retention, due to the high the drug gives.
 
DermViser said:
1. Good study hygiene
2. Using reviews books and First Aid with coursework
3. Porn
4. Masturbation

I have no idea whether Adderall actually helps in memory and retention, or whether that person FEELS like it helps with memory and retention, due to the high the drug gives.
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Lots of sex should be on that list.
 
GuyWhoDoesStuff said:
I started by setting the tone early. Dominate the first exam, and repeat ad nauseum.

You know how people on SDN complain about getting the same grade every time regardless of what they do? Same kinda thing. You settle into your routine.
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DermViser said:
Yes, but that is highly dependent on the person always saying, "Yes". Hardly a guarantee when medical students study everyday.
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I never say no to my better half. It's not like I need some romantic love making session every single time, sometimes I know he just needs some stress relief/study break 😛
 
CherryRedDracul said:
A lot of my classmates are on either that or Adderall.
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Does it actually help their scores and retention? Or do they just think it does? Don't they get really bad anxiety side effects from that drug?
 
DermViser said:
Does it actually help their scores and retention? Or do they just think it does? Don't they get really bad anxiety side effects from that drug?
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This is the reason my psychiatrist refuses to prescribe the drug for me. 🙁
 
fancymylotus said:
I never say no to my better half. It's not like I need some romantic love making session every single time, sometimes I know he just needs some stress relief/study break 😛
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Yes, you're also a dentist. It's much easier I'm sure due to your schedule.
 
Arkangeloid said:
I was the "32" once (actually a 60, my score was never THAT bad).

It was just that I got lost in the material early on, fell behind, got left behind, then struggled to cram everything together at the end, then eventually drowned in an ocean of anxiety and suffering, couldn't get any work done, and thus failed. After it happened, the school admins accused me of drug addiction and/or a death in the family.

Honestly, I just felt offended by those accusations. Apparently these people think that I'm as stupid as the drug addicts that pull into our ER every day.
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School administrators tend to jump at the gun when it comes to these things. I think the belief is that it's better to catch a false positive and give help, than miss a false negative when it comes to things such as substance abuse in medical students.
 
fancymylotus said:
......oh right, bc us dentists are soooo lazy and don't work hard at all ><
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With all due respect, the work-life balance is MUCH better for dentists than for most doctors. It has nothing to do with being lazy.
 
Arkangeloid said:
Yeah, I don't ridicule them, I guess I'm just a hater who's jelly. 🙂

Can you blame me though? I used to be good at one thing, which was studying. And League of Legends I guess, but that's gone now. Now I'm at the bottom of the class. So I'm not good at anything lol.


For what it's worth, I started going ham at the gym again (for the first time since my injury). I think if I can be good at that, not compared to other people, but at least happy with my health and physique, it may help my self-esteem a bit.
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Man, I do miss league of legends sometimes. Although I don't miss the frustration that comes with it lol.
 
ChEMD said:
Man, I do miss league of legends sometimes. Although I don't miss the frustration that comes with it lol.
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Fking Riot never nerfed Orianna, that pisses me off so much lol. Pantheon has his moment in the sun for 2 months and Riot is talking about how he's broken, Orianna's been a top-tier pick in tournament play for YEARS and Riot never does anything to her lol.

And yeah, the community in that game is horrific.
 
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