The weather is cold, but you should be warm!
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Nov 6, 2008 Posted by Ned Johnson
So a student of mine let me know that he ran a marathon the other weekend.
"Oh, I didn't know you were planning to do that."
"Well, I didn't either. It's just that the racecourse came right by my apartment, and since I wanted to go for a run anyway, I just jumped in. I was going to run five or six miles, but since everyone was cheering so much, I just kept going for, like twelve or thirteen miles.
"Wow! Don't you have to register or something?"
"Well, sure. I guess, but what were they going to do? Tackle me for not having a numbered racing jersey?"
Hard to argue with that.
"So, tell me about this test you just took. The grammar part didn't look as strong as you'd like. What did you do to warm up for the practice test."
"I just came and took it."
"Aha. Got it. Remember how we discussed the benefit of reviewing previous questions or sections of the test before doing a new one, that the grammar particularly is so different from that of real life that you have to "reinstall" that software each time."
"Yeah."
"So, maybe next time, doing that would make things go better."
"Yeah, that would make sense."
Many coaches and athletes like this proverb: practice like you'll play and you'll play like you practice. It's relevant for tests and test preparation too. "If I think that winning a game is just a matter of more grit, then I assume that I can just turn it on for the game" -- a sentiment shared even by professional athletes though maddening of course to their coaches. "If I believe that a test is really testing my intelligence, then I should be able to just show up and take it."
Both, I submit, are at least partially wrong. Yes, a superior athlete can beat an inferior one, even one with superior training. Yes, there are students who can rock a test with little or less preparation. But, both a superior athlete and a superior student will do even better with consistent and appropriate preparation. Don't just lace up your shoes and go run a race -- not, at least, if you care about your performance. Don't just take a test, committing three hours of your life, unless you have put yourself in a position to do well. Yes, any running offers exercise and any practice test is, by default, practice. But, it’s great to keep improving your times in running. It’s great to get a few more questions right on every test or section of test. Just as warming up and stretching improves your chances when running (and prevents injuries!), so too will warming up and reviewing corrections from a previous section increase your chances of doing better on the next practice or test (and avoid a poor performance injurious to your confidence!). Plan to put yourself in the best position to do well. Remember: warming up is always a good idea.