Why bragging about exam expectations is a good thing
We've been taught it's bad to boast, but we get pleasure from it, science shows, so there's no reason for well-prepared students to be self-deprecating about their exam performance.
The invigilation duty teachers are required to undertake follows a frenetic period of facilitating the completion and submission of internal assessments, marking mock exams, and preparing students for these external examinations. Devoid of any activity other than watching students write their exams - one colleague aptly describes invigilation as "interesting as watching paint dry".
Over the years I have observed students experience the full range of emotions from euphoria to abject despondency in the exam halls.
I am always intrigued by the self-deprecating responses of really well-prepared students: "I got lucky and all the questions were from the units I had studied." I want to interject, "No, you prepared very well - you could have answered any question from any unit."
While confident responses, "It was an awesome paper", from ill-prepared Arnold, makes me worry that the look of awe this confident bragging got him from his peers could preclude him from revising properly for the next exam.
However, the student who intrigues me the most is the one who doesn't feel the need to discuss and talk about his or her exam performance.
Because we all love to talk about ourselves. Harvard university neuroscientists tell us we are almost compelled to share our thoughts because we find the process as rewarding as food, sex or money.
