Exams

I've always been a good test-taker. Throughout my school years, I was one of those kids who was able to retain information and calmly, coherently and quickly reproduce it on exams. Spelling tests were right up my alley. I could look at a word once and have it memorized. This is a fortunate skill to have when you're too distracted by other stuff to actually put the necessary time into studying.

I had my first in class exam of the semester this morning: Orientation to Old Testament Studies, or OT as everyone here refers to it. Despite the fact that I only spent about 10 hours going through the review sheets, I feel like I did a passable job...maybe even a B. A few years ago I would have found the thought of getting a B almost unbearable, but I've gained some perspective with age and being away from school for a time.

Many of my colleagues got little to no sleep for the past few nights. While they were spending hours trying to remember the biblical references that could be used to explain the importance of the Davidic monarchy and the temple in Israel's royal theology, I was in dreamland, cognizant of my personal need for sleep in order to do well on a test.

One part of the exam consisted of ten blank lines with the instruction to list a shortened version of the Decalogue, in the correct order. Having not studied that particular item, I was sure I wouldn't get most of it right, but then it all came back to me from Sunday school and Bible and theology classes at Houghton. Thank you, Drs. Tyson and Schultz, I know the Decalogue. It's fascinating, the parts that stick with us.

Now, on to more studying. A student's work is never done.