The Midterm Archives

A CONLIT Requirement submitted by Jiro Abbey Lodia

[jiroabbeylodia]

I Confessed for no Reason

I was doing my usual "Jiro" things, then I received a notification from my phone.

Our class started discussing the answer key from the first exam in the group chat. My classmates noticed several inconsistencies in the checking process, which led them to ask our instructor to recheck the original exam papers during our next meeting. When the papers were rechecked, almost everything changed.

My original score, which was first recorded as 34 out of 100, suddenly became 79 out of 100. Many of my classmates also discovered that their original scores were incorrect. It turned out that I had actually passed the first exam all along.

That realization hit me harder than the failing grade itself.

I had already sent a long, honest confession to the entire class and admitted that I was lazy and unmotivated, only to discover later that I technically did not fail in the first place.

Whenever I remember that moment, I feel secondhand embarrassment, but I just tell myself that they wouldn't really remember or care enough anyway.

Looking back, the experience became strangely memorable to me. It reminded me how quickly assumptions can turn into conclusions, especially in academics. More importantly, it forced me to confront a truth about myself that I normally do not have a problem with in the first place. Even if the failing grade turned out to be a mistake, my confession about being lazy was not.

In the end, I may not have failed the exam, but I still learned something from it.

[jiroabbeylodia]

Second Chance, Same Me

After Ma'am Sab broke the news to us, she asked each of us to explained why we think we failed. One by one, my classmates sent their reasons. Some said lessons were discussed too quickly. Others explained that the literary pieces were too long to read and difficult to analyze. A few also shared personal struggles that affected their performance. When it was my turn, I had a dilemma: do I say what the others said, or do I just say the truth?

I eventually admitted that I was simply lazy. I explained that literature had always been boring for me, which was ironic considering that I am studying to become an English teacher. I said that I lacked motivation to read the assigned stories and was too lazy to review the materials our instructor uploaded. I admitted that my failure is completely my fault.

Not long after that, our instructor gave us a second chance through a re-examination. We had one week to prepare — the academic break. Of course, I did what is expected.

…I still didn't study. At that point, I just accepted whatever result I would get. When the re-exam day came, I noticed that many questions were easier than before. Some questions were even familiar because I remembered the parts I struggled with during the first exam. After the papers were returned, most of us received significantly higher scores. I got a 91 out of 100, which isn't that impressive, but it is honestly still surprising. Good enough.

[jiroabbeylodia]

When Laziness Backfired

I have never really been the type of student who studies extensively for exams. Most of the time, I rely on memory and analysis when answering questions. Somehow, it usually works out for me, so I became too comfortable with that habit over time. That habit followed me during our Contemporary and Popular Literature Midterm Examination. I did not study at all. I knew there were literary pieces I should have finished, materials I should have reviewed, and topics I should have taken more seriously, but I ignored all of them. I even posted an Instagram note, saying "ay CONLIT ba, kala ko CODM" Exam day came. As I was sitting on that plastic armchair, part of me regretted that I did not study because some questions caught me completely off guard — in a way that I know that this certain concept is familiar, and I could've gotten more accurate answers if I just took 5 minutes out of my leisure time to skim through the presentations in Pop Lit. Even so, I still felt strangely calm after the exam, as some questions felt familiar. I honestly am humble enough to admit that I did not do that good of a job, but confident enough to assume that my grade at least hit the passing mark. A few hours after the exam, our instructor sent a message to the class group chat. We failed. All of us.