Unlike the case for my academically inclined acquaintances, midterm was a bit of a reality check for me. I realized several important things, and have decided to formulate a list as a reminder:
a) TRACE YOUR FLIPPING CODE, don't just hope that the coding gods will magically bless your code and will somehow make it run for ALL your test cases - no matter how pretty it looks.
b) Study. I know, probably the most challenging thing for me to do, being a disoriented clot.
c) Focus in class. Try not to think about some illogical quasi-philosophical nonsense that usually pollutes your head.
d) Realize that everything might not go according to plan; instead of running around in circles, arms a-flailing, I should come up with another improved plan, accounting for the mistakes I made. After all, Benjamin Disraeli did say: 'To be conscious that you are ignorant is a great step in knowledge' ; where to go after that he conveniently decided to leave out.
e) Plan B (sorry for the lettering ambiguity, bad choice of variable names): Accept that you made a serious mistake and start from the top. Or, move to a Scandinavian country and work as a farm hand shoveling the pleasant surprises farm animals leave in their respective stalls (which doesn't sound too bad, actually, minus the noxious smells).
EDIT: In no way was this post intended to offend Scandinavian farm laborers
