What would you rather do - study or write a paper?

[geretts]

I know this depends on what you would be studying or writing a paper about, but in general, which do you prefer - studying or writing a paper for a class?

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[maybemed2013]

Study.

 

[Lya]

Paper.

You do not have to get that test anxiety and after you are done writing whenever, you are simply done. In addition, discussing ideas for the paper with professors is a great way to build connections, but you cannot do so easily for the exam, except for asking questions after the exam. Furthermore, you can save that paper on your computer, so what you learned in class can be easily recalled when you reread it in the future.

In my opinion, writing a paper is more humanizing than taking the exam. (It is obviously biased since I have been a writing lab tutor for years.)

 

[274631]

Paper definitely.

 

[Flashfan]

As a Chem tutor, I prefer to study.

 

[gobigorgohome22]

Depends on the topic of the test and the paper

 

[Zelda840]

Study.

 

[GoPelicans]

Study... I don't enjoy writing that much. Medical school secondaries basically extinguished whatever little flame remained for my interest in writing.

 

[teenyfish]

Study for sure. I despise writing papers.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Study, baby.

 

[mehc012]

Test. Test test test test test.

All of my gpa woes came from being irresponsible and not bothering to turn assignments in on time. Tests were not my issue.
Actually, I love tests...they calm me down.
I can write a good paper, but the process of doing that is 8x more miserable than studying for a test.

 

[487806]

Test. Test test test test test.

All of my gpa woes came from being irresponsible and not bothering to turn assignments in on time. Tests were not my issue.
Actually, I love tests...they calm me down.
I can write a good paper, but the process of doing that is 8x more miserable than studying for a test.

For once, we can finally agree. whew.

 

[dorian baltar]

Test, test, a thousand times test.
I agree with mehc012. Writing is very miserable.

 

[nemo123]

Study because at least even if you didn't really study, you're done with it after taking it... Papers, however, you have to put in the effort to at least make the page minimum.

 

[akaMondo]

Study. I love tests. I thrive under pressure.

I hate writing papers, going over it, tweaking, blah blah blah. Much more subjective. I don't like that. Nothing like curling up with a hot cup of coffee and learning about actually interesting things, not writing some BS anthropology paper. . .

 

[wiloghby]

Studying is awesome. I don't love tests that much, but I tend to rock them. I enjoy standardized tests though, like the MCAT.

But studying is sort of like reading a really complicated and beautiful book. Once you start figuring everything out, the story told is really amazing and satisfying.

Writing a paper is like...writing a really complicated and awkward book...that no one will ever read.

 

[Itsmine]

Study. Papers are too unpredictable. Teacher might not like what you wrote. But studying? All facts are the same. No bias. No teacher preference. Fact=fact.

 

[wiloghby]

Study. Papers are too unpredictable. Teacher might not like what you wrote. But studying? All facts are the same. No bias. No teacher preference. Fact=fact.

Definitely an interesting issue.

I think the teacher preference/bias in studying occurs in the exam design. Some students are much better at predicting exam questions than others, and some professors are more predictable than others. Of course, everyone on this forum is likely excellent at it, so we don't even think about it. But I'm pretty sure there are many students who have a difficult time with that. At my post-bacc university, if you gave me a list of the professors for a given med school pre-req course, I can predict with near certainty which section will fill up first. (And it definitely doesn't have to do with the quality of the lectures.)

 

[Itsmine]

Definitely an interesting issue.

I think the teacher preference/bias in studying occurs in the exam design. Some students are much better at predicting exam questions than others, and some professors are more predictable than others. Of course, everyone on this forum is likely excellent at it, so we don't even think about it. But I'm pretty sure there are many students who have a difficult time with that. At my post-bacc university, if you gave me a list of the professors for a given med school pre-req course, I can predict with near certainty which section will fill up first. (And it definitely doesn't have to do with the quality of the lectures.)

I unfortunately can't predict this too well, but try my best. How can you predict which section will fill up fast? I just go on rate my professor to see the professor's ratings in order to choose the sections.

 

[wiloghby]

I unfortunately can't predict this too well, but try my best. How can you predict which section will fill up fast? I just go on rate my professor to see the professor's ratings in order to choose the sections.

Sections with professors who give easier or more predictable exams always fill up first. Most of the pre-meds here don't realize that preparing for the easy exam now will greatly compound the amount of studying necessary for the MCAT. I have tried to offer my advice, but most are pretty sure the average MCAT score is a 30... so how hard could it be to score higher than that??

At least at my very large public university, RateMyProfessor rating typically reflects how easy the course is and not how well it is taught -- which is perhaps more evidence that how well you study the material doesn't always translate into the grade you get. But how well you study the test typically does.

 

[Itsmine]

Sections with professors who give easier or more predictable exams always fill up first. Most of the pre-meds here don't realize that preparing for the easy exam now will greatly compound the amount of studying necessary for the MCAT. I have tried to offer my advice, but most are pretty sure the average MCAT score is a 30... so how hard could it be to score higher than that??

At least at my very large public university, RateMyProfessor rating typically reflects how easy the course is and not how well it is taught -- which is perhaps more evidence

How do you know which professors give the most predictable exams? Do you talk to other students who have taken that specific professor?

 

[wiloghby]

How do you know which professors give the most predictable exams? Do you talk to other students who have taken that specific professor?

Yes. There is a lot of talk among the students about it. Upperclassmen (which I guess is what I am now) tend to know. In large classes, TAs have recitation sections for both professors and grade both professors' exams, so they also tend to know. So some students ask the TAs. I suppose it depends on the school though.

By default, I try to take the class I'm going to get the most out of or that will teach me to ace the toughest problems. Though I'll admit if I ever had a bad semester, I'd try to get back on my feet by taking whatever I could get A's in the next semester.

SORRY to derail. But the bottom thread-relevant line is that measuring how well you study is often as subjective as measuring how well you write a paper, as the professor may emphasize topics that he/she thinks are most important. These topics/question types may differ among sections of the very same class.

 

[youmed]

Studying, of course.🤣😍

 

[Chillbo Baggins]

I'll give studying the edge. Sometimes it'd be kind of enjoyable to write a BA paper or grant proposal, but it could be a tremendous amount of work to find sources and come up with ideas. Compared to studying, where (almost) all the info is right in front of you.

 

[eizeral]

Write a paper. Writing is my metier.

 

[Longshot6]

Tests, because it feels awesome when you have a body full of Adrenaline while taking a test.

 

[sourdoughllama]

Writing papers feels like the MCAT to me; this horrible impending, ominous feeling that hard work can easily overcome, but procrastination karate kicks that option out the window

Also with a test you can easily self-justify a bad score by blaming the teacher for putting ridiculous questions that no one could've seen coming or whatever haha

 

[nvnme]

I'd much prefer to write a paper. Not my favorite thing, but I'm fortunate enough to be one of the people who can practically wait last minute and still produce a great paper.

On the flip side, when studying for a test, I'm on edge throughout the entire process. If I don't know the information cold, I'm stressed. Still make decent grades and do well at standardized tests, but the entire process is arduous. Oddly enough, healthcare tends to require a lot of studying and exams, so between undergrad, the new MCAT, and bi-weekly exams in medical school, I'm probably going to be gray before 30.

Gimme papers to write anyday.

 

[cl123]

I prefer writing a paper, because for that, I know when I'm finished. However, for studying for an exam - there's no clear endpoint; there's always more one could study. It's impossible to fully and perfectly master the material in a finite amount of time.

 

[silverturtle]

I know this depends on what you would be studying or writing a paper about, but in general, which do you prefer - studying or writing a paper for a class?

study. takes me fo-ev-ahh to write papers.

 

[neurotroph]

Study, all day errday. I can cram like a boss and never get test anxiety. Papers are what give me anxiety. I absolutely despise writing them and don't remember the last time I wrote one without having to pull an all-nighter. I'm a good writer and always get good grades on papers, but the experience is awful. idk what my deal is. I have a 20 page paper due at the end of the semester and just the thought of it is killing the joy in my life.

 

[shadowfaxx]

id say paper only because once you finish a paper you can be done with it and move on.

 

[mehc012]

id say paper only because once you finish a paper you can be done with it and move on.

Same argument can be made for a test.

 

[Jennyfishy]

Paper! As cool as reviewing physio and cell bio can be, I love writing things for leisure, but especially for an english lit. or ethnic studies class. Writing stupid stories in different languages is pretty fun too 😛

 

[La Presse]

I'd rather write a paper.