The Lion Doesn't Stress About Exams

Kieran and Julia dive into the very real stress of finals week by detailing their own packed exam schedules and major projects . Before the main topic, they share their High, Low, and Buffalo from the week, covering everything from family Thanksgiving and youth group successes to VIP football game experiences . They wrap up by trading their most memorable exam "horror stories" and offering advice on how to survive the semester's biggest academic challenge .

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Creators and Guests

Host

Julia Laursen

Host

Kieran McClean

What is That's What They Said?

Join hosts Julia and Kieran as they address the myths and stereotypes surrounding the campus community.

“That’s What They Said” is a space where we pull back the curtain on the college experience — the myths, the stereotypes and the late-night thoughts nobody puts in the brochure.

No topic is off-limits! We’re talking about everything — from expectations vs. reality, to campus culture, academics, friendships and the messy in-betweens. If it’s part of student life, we’re navigating it together.

"That's What They Said" is a podcast produced by WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1/HD-2 at NC State University.

00:05
Kieran
Welcome back to that's what they Said, an educationally conversational podcast where we address all the things that aren't in the College brochure.

00:12
Julia
Episode 9.

00:17
Kieran
Oh, wow. You really hit that.

00:19
Julia
Really?

00:19
Kieran
Yeah. Okay, that was really clean.

00:21
Julia
Thank you.

00:22
Kieran
Yeah.

00:22
Julia
McClean. Oh.

00:26
Kieran
Podcast over. We're gonna go drop out and become comedians.

00:28
Julia
Yeah.

00:29
Kieran
Maybe singers.

00:31
Julia
Yeah.

00:31
Kieran
Okay, never mind.

00:32
Julia
No, I could. You could. Oh, oh. I'm just. I'm just joshing you. I'm just being silly. Okay.

00:41
Kieran
Anyway, I was being silly when I said you hit that nose. Yeah, yeah. Right, right. We go fight. You just hear, like, audio of us, like, screaming in the background. Anyways, guys, hope we're doing so well. Julia and I somehow both managed to start catching a little something.

01:00
Julia
It's not even catching. It's caught.

01:01
Kieran
Well, we both caught a little something at the same time, so our voices are a little bit more in our manly state. Lower and raspier.

01:10
Julia
Hello.

01:12
Kieran
I feel like. Although I won't even lie. Like, maybe this is like my half notes app that I'm going to just put at the beginning. I love what my voice sounds like when I'm kind of getting sick.

01:21
Julia
Like a little rasp.

01:22
Kieran
I love a little rasp. I feel like my. I love having a low voice fun fact about me, which is actually fun fact. A little sad fact is that I used to, like, voice train myself because I was so scared of being considered too girly girl that I would speak in a lower octave on purpose.

01:38
Julia
Really?

01:38
Kieran
So now my voice is just a lot lower than, like, if I were.

01:43
Julia
To, like, what is it naturally.

01:45
Kieran
Hey, guys, can you imagine? I don't know. I just, like, I taught myself to, like, talk more. Talk more in the back of my throat. So, like, I don't know, like. So like, when I do, like, my customer service, where it's like, hi, guys. Welcome into the restaurant. How can I help you? Like, that's. It's a little higher, but, like, I always talk more in the back of my throat, so it's lower. So then when I get sick, it, like, really enhances it. And I'm like, I'm so manly. Like, I just, like, it's, you know, boyfriend, asmr. Rolling in the bed, but then also standing up. It's like, those ones will be like, hey, babe, like, gonna go ahead and roll over and grab me some water. Like, I feel so, like, it makes me laugh. I can't.

02:23
Julia
Anyways, anyway. Hi, little buffalo. Yeah, I'll go first. Okay. Low. I'm sick, right? And the sickness prevented Me from attending my family Thanksgiving, but then I got to attend McLean family Thanksgiving.

02:39
Kieran
Yay.

02:39
Julia
So that was Slay Buzz Tastic. Big fan of the creamed corn. I like to do.

02:46
Kieran
Thank you.

02:46
Julia
Do a half a fork full of mashed potatoes and half a four full of cream.

02:50
Kieran
Yeah, yeah. And.

02:52
Julia
And, yeah.

02:52
Kieran
Do you. You understand now? Like, last week, were talking about the Thanksgiving foods, and I was very hyping up this creamed corn.

02:59
Julia
It's true.

03:00
Kieran
Which many people apparently don't do. Creamed corn. In my social circle, it's just not a thing.

03:05
Julia
Well, because I got. I got up to, like, get it, and Ian was right next to me. He was like, what is that? And I was like, it's cream corn. He was like, what is that? I was like, it's corn and cream. And he's like. And he said, get a load of this. I like those things separate.

03:17
Kieran
Oh. And I said, oh, that sounds like Ian.

03:20
Julia
I agree.

03:21
Kieran
Yeah.

03:21
Julia
I was scared.

03:22
Kieran
Yeah, he's kind of like a proceed with caution type fellow.

03:25
Julia
Yeah, I know.

03:27
Kieran
Love him, though. Shout out, Ian Derosier. Hope you're doing well. He used to make us compete. Not compete, but, like, fight about how to say his last name. He's like, it's actually Derosier.

03:37
Julia
And I was like, no, it's not diva.

03:39
Kieran
And he's like, no, it's not. And I was like, okay. It's French, though.

03:42
Julia
He wishes. I was like, girl, he does not look French. He does not look French.

03:47
Kieran
Apparently, it's actually pronounced like, some French way. But then he's like. And then my family got to America, and it was just too complicated, so they changed it to Derosier.

03:56
Julia
Oh, my God. And I was like, right, all right, sure.

03:59
Kieran
Anyhow. So low in Buffalo or high in Buffalo? Low.

04:03
Julia
Yeah. Was being sick high? Was. It was, like, a good weekend other than being sick? Like, I had my sleepover on Friday, and I had a really great time, and it was so fun, and it made me so happy. And then I had Thanksgiving, and I got there, and we sat and talked, and then I took a nap on the couch, and I came back and we talked some more, and then we ate food, and then we sat and talked. And then I came home and I slept, and it was so nice. And then. Yeah. And then my Buffalo. Is that now? I posted this on my spam story.

04:37
Kieran
If you're a real one, you know.

04:38
Julia
Yeah, yeah. But anyway, I had work last night, you know, at the church with my youth group. My kids, they're, like, 20 of them there, which is like a substantial amount. Yeah, it's like we sometimes have like 25 to 30, but, you know, 20 is good. Anyway, so it was like question night. And they all came to write questions about whatever they want and put it into a jar. And then we like, split middle school and high school and then talk about it. And I had the high schoolers, which is like, I don't know, it's like low key, weird that I, like, get to like, lead a the group. It's like, weird. I don't know. But like, I sat down, nervous, sitting on couch, being cozy, and I was like, okay, like, let's get started.

05:14
Julia
So then I passed around the jar and everybody, like, asked a question. And there were some really good questions. And those kids are really smart and mature, so I was impressed. There are a lot of questions about, like, are you. This was. This was tea. They were like, are you pro or anti ice? And I was like, oh, starting off strong, let's debate this one. Right? Like, and I talked to my boss about. We knew this was going to come up because how could it not? It's such a prevalent issue. And, like, as Christians, we have a very clear stance on, like, how we treat our neighbors. And it's not. It's not the way that they're being treated. Right, right. Anyway, so there's questions like that, and then they're like, dumb questions.

05:55
Julia
Well, not dumb questions, but like, questions are like, who's your favorite musical artist? Then we go around and say, like, you know what? And then I got made fun of and I was like, okay, guys, this.

06:04
Kieran
Is a safe space. Right? Treat it as right. That is not kind and right.

06:09
Julia
But then I like, I make fun of them back. Like, I make fun of them all the time, like 24 7. So as they're leaving, it was like, time to go. I, like, walk them out to the front where all their parents are, where they get in their cars and drive away and. And all the high school boys dapped me up on their way out. And I was like, oh, my God, you've made it. I did like, they never have done that before, but they were like. The first one came up and he was like. He, like, did his hand like that. I was like, it's happening. And he was like, have a good Thanksgiving. And his brother came up and was like, you know, like, see you soon or whatever. Then the next one came up and I was like, what is happening?

06:43
Kieran
We got afraid of dad.

06:44
Julia
Okay. I, like, felt so cool and it was so Great.

06:48
Kieran
Initiated into the group.

06:50
Julia
I know I'm like, it's only taken an entire semester, but I'm excited.

06:53
Kieran
I cracked the code.

06:54
Julia
All right. Because I'm going skiing with them in January, like an overnight trip. And I like wanted to be friends with them before that, you know, But I think I finally gotten there. But also I'm nervous because I don't know how to ski and I know they're going to make fun of me because I'm going to look stupid. But it's okay. I'm. That just made me like so happy. I cried. I was like, oh my God.

07:13
Kieran
Like I made it.

07:15
Julia
They like me. Like, keep in mind these people are a year younger than I am. Right.

07:19
Kieran
Oh, they're all 18?

07:20
Julia
Yeah.

07:22
Kieran
Interesting. I thought they were 14.

07:24
Julia
It's middle schoolers. So like 11 and 12 all the way up to 18 year olds. Oh. But like yesterday I was leading the group of like. Yeah, high schoolers.

07:32
Kieran
Oh, so that you were getting 18 year old Daps?

07:34
Julia
Yes, lowkey.

07:36
Kieran
I don't know if that's like more or.

07:38
Julia
I feel like if you get a.

07:38
Kieran
14 year old or an 18 year old, you've low key made it. Right. Like in the sophomore, junior age. It's like kind of cool to do that to a woman. I don't know.

07:45
Julia
Like, I feel like it's like a.

07:46
Kieran
Thing like when you're 14 or 18, they're either into you or you've made it. And I think you've made it.

07:50
Julia
Yeah. I hope they're on to me. I like, I really hope not that would.

07:54
Kieran
I think you've made it.

07:55
Julia
I think I made it. I think because they don't know how old I am, they think I'm older. They got like 23, 24. Right.

08:00
Kieran
And also like per the environment. Right. I also feel like if it was like, if they liked you, they would have dabbed you up way sooner. That would a day three. This is like.

08:11
Julia
Yeah. This is like week 8,000. Yeah. Right. Anyway, that's my highlight. Buffalo, your turn.

08:16
Kieran
Ten minutes later. Right. Okay.

08:21
Julia
Okay.

08:21
Kieran
Okay. My low is also that I am feeling a little something coming on. Hopefully by the time that this comes out, it's gone.

08:29
Julia
It better be.

08:30
Kieran
Usually I can get through sickness in four days, so that's kind of where I'm at. Tomorrow is in theory gonna be my worst day.

08:36
Julia
Okay.

08:36
Kieran
It's either like, it's like either really bad for like four days or it's like okay, sickness for like seven. So I'm hoping it's Just, we can like, bang this one out.

08:45
Julia
Well, that's how. That's how I measure my periods. I'm like, okay, on this day it'll be the worst. And then. Yeah, yeah.

08:49
Kieran
The problem, super long conversation for another time is mine are so unpredictable, even on birth control, that I kind of just like go with the wind. And I can never do that.

08:58
Julia
Mine are usually predictable. Except that one time that I bled out in front of my class.

09:01
Kieran
I do remember.

09:02
Julia
Did I share that on the podcast?

09:03
Kieran
You have not.

09:04
Julia
Can I, Can I share that?

09:05
Kieran
Yeah, go ahead. I'll share it for you.

09:07
Julia
Imagine that's your low.

09:08
Kieran
Yeah, my lowest for Julia.

09:11
Julia
Guys, a few weeks ago, I was giving a presentation in my theories of globalization seminar. And fantastic class. You should take it. Anyway, was giving a presentation and my class sits in like a half circle around the room. So, like, it's just me in front of all these people and there's like, nothing in front of me. Whatever. And I'm giving this presentation and then I can feel my period occur and I'm like, oh, okay. Hey. And I still. I was in a 75 minute long presentation and I had 10 minutes left, and I was like, come on. Like, can I just, like, lock in? So I like, crossed my legs and bent over and I was like, okay, guys, like, let's, you know, I was like, finishing it and then I went to the bathroom after. And you could fully see. Yeah.

09:47
Julia
From the front and I was like. So, like, it was like gunshot level. Like my. Yeah, no, it was.

09:54
Kieran
I remember. I recall.

09:55
Julia
Yeah. Because I went to the library after. Yes.

09:57
Kieran
And I do remember being like, it can't be that bad. Right?

09:59
Julia
Like, and I walked up and you could see it. It was like they had to have watched the blood spread across my pants. Like, so that was really humbling. But I. And I didn't go to that class for a few days. But then I went back, and the next time I went back, I had to do another presentation. So that was really crazy. But it went well and I didn't bleed in front of anyone, so just had to share that quick win. Right, Right. Just. Anyway, continue on.

10:23
Kieran
So my. Hello, buffalo. Yes, my lows. I am low key getting sick. And one of my most irrational fears. Well, maybe not irrational. It's kind of rational, I would say is like, when you can't breathe through your nose. Anytime that I can't breathe through my nose and I have to breathe through my mouth, I, like, literally freak out.

10:39
Julia
Yeah. It's a claustrophobia Yeah.

10:40
Kieran
I don't know why, because I'm still getting air. I'm not really sure how that. I like, I feel like I'm getting less air even though it's more surface that I'm inhaling. Like I don't even know.

10:48
Julia
No, but I get what you mean.

10:49
Kieran
Yeah. So every time I get sick and I like can't breathe through my nose, I literally have anxiety attack, which obviously makes it worse. So then I like can't breathe period. Like at all. Like there's just no air coming in and out and then that just makes it worse. It's a whole thing. So I'm like hoping that we don't get to that. I've already like pre started on the vitamin C and Mucinex, so we're like feeling okay right now.

11:07
Julia
I need to get some of that vitamin C. Yeah.

11:08
Kieran
Last night I actually got an okay amount of sleep. Like I went to bed at like 10 o' clock or like 10:30 or something and then I woke up at 7 today. But I definitely was in and out of sleep. I'm also like almost out of melatonin, so I'm rationing it. So there's just a lot of things at play. My highs, my weekend.

11:24
Julia
So. Okay, I'll.

11:25
Kieran
A quick recap. Friday, I help my family prep for Thanksgiving. We're not doing Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving this year because my mom's a nurse, shout out the health care system. So she's working all of like Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, so it's off the table. So I helped prep and I love prepping for Thanksgiving. I like, I think it's fun. I love cooking. It's my whole shebang. So that was really fun. And then me and my dad went to the NC State, Florida State game, football game, which was super cool. So my Dad's birthday is November 14th and for his birthday my mom talked to her friend's fiance who works in the athletics and got him tickets.

12:02
Julia
Yes.

12:03
Kieran
And I went with him because I love sports. And so went, we got really good seats. We were like right behind the field, like the post, but like just to the side of it so we could still see everything. We wasn't like blocked by it.

12:13
Julia
Yeah.

12:13
Kieran
So it was really good view. And then we also got invited up to go on like the platform where like the buffet is and like the tents with like the food, which is so cool. Anytime I get like any like something of some sort of VIP like experience, like obviously that's not normal. So I was like, yeah. And I was like, I need to network with every single person here, like, because a lot of those people are, like, donors for, like, the Wolf Pack Club and, like, athletics and stuff. So I was like, yeah, I had a befriend. Every single person here, like, they're gonna pull up my LinkedIn. I didn't talk to one person, but I did get a footlong hot dog. And that was.

12:42
Julia
Yeah.

12:43
Kieran
And they had, like, unlimited free sodas, so I did have, like, three Diet Cokes that night. Yes, it was a time to be alive. And they had, like, chicken and garlic mashed potatoes and, like, chili for the hot dog and cookies and Oreos and, like, a bar. And I was like, good Lord. And then we won the game, which I was not even expecting because I've been so mad at our football team recently. But they actually pulled out the win, which was crazy. And it was, like, a good and interesting game. So that was really fun. A very late night, though. Then we had our Thanksgiving on Saturday, which was super fun. It went very well. And then I think I went back to my apartment. I don't really remember what happened on Saturday.

13:20
Julia
You were going to watch snl?

13:22
Kieran
Oh, yes. I had to go to Food Line. And then I didn't end up watching snl. Long story. And then Sunday, me and Julia had brunch.

13:29
Julia
Oh, yeah.

13:30
Kieran
Buss.

13:30
Julia
It was. Ooh, buss. And I had a gift card, so it was free.

13:33
Kieran
Free, including the tip. She was like, you can even tip on the gift card. We were like, girl, don't play.

13:39
Julia
So that was actually so good. It was at this, like, vegetarian restaurant.

13:42
Kieran
Irregardless.

13:43
Julia
Yeah, Irregardless, it was so good. I, like, I brought home my, like, leftovers. You know, I had an entire half a burrito, and, like, I ate it about an hour later. I was like, I could save this for another meal.

13:53
Kieran
No, no. But you saw money on that gift card, though.

13:56
Julia
Yeah.

13:57
Kieran
And then I went and saw two of my friends, and we watched Central Intelligence. It's this movie with Kevin Hart and the Rock, but it's one of their first movies they ever did in, like, 2016 or something.

14:10
Julia
I don't know that movie.

14:11
Kieran
It's like, the premise is really weird. It's just about how the Rock in high school was super lame and bullied a lot. And then Kevin Hart's character was the popular kid. And then one time they bullied Kevin Hart or the Rocks character, and Kevin's Hart character helped him out. And then, like, 20 years later, they don't see each other again until apparently The Rock is involved in some, like, he's a CSI agent and doing some undercover like, mission stuff and needs Kevin Hart's character's help because he's an accountant and they need to hack into some like, forensic account. And then like, it's also Kevin Hart's character on like finding who he is because he thought he peaked in high. I don't even know. It made literally no sense.

14:49
Kieran
Okay, it made sense, but I was like, who sat in the like, room and was like, guys, picture this vision. Bless you asmr Sneeze. But I was like, who is sitting in the boardroom? I was like, guys, what if. Hear me out? I was like, okay, we scrapbooked a little bit, then went to Sonic. Cherry limead and mozzarella sticks from Sonic. Had my heart, but I've also been loving the heath and brownie concrete from Sonic. Been eating that. One of my favorite things in this world is the Sonic whipped cream. It's.

15:19
Julia
Ugh.

15:20
Kieran
Anyhow, and then I went back to my apartment and I just like stared at a wall.

15:24
Julia
So that was really cool.

15:25
Kieran
Yes. Anyhow, that was my weekend, so that was a high buffalo.

15:29
Julia
Is.

15:32
Kieran
That. I got a really good parking spot today. Slay in the west deck.

15:37
Julia
Okay.

15:37
Kieran
It was like right where the entrance is.

15:39
Julia
Oh, slay.

15:40
Kieran
Thank God.

15:41
Julia
Buzz.

15:42
Kieran
So anyhow, to move on to the actual content of today's episode, like 10 minutes, 20 minutes later today. The lioness does not concern themselves with exams.

15:51
Julia
It's true. It's actually a lie.

15:53
Kieran
It's.

15:54
Julia
No, it's a lie. We're always concerned about everything.

15:56
Kieran
24 7, 365.

15:57
Julia
Yep.

15:59
Kieran
So yes, final exams. This will be coming out the week before final exams start.

16:04
Julia
So this week.

16:05
Kieran
So this week, this is correct. In five days. My B.

16:09
Julia
My bock.

16:10
Kieran
My bock. What is your final exam situation looking like?

16:14
Julia
Yes. So we're gonna be going in with the. I have my stats final at 8:30 in the morning. We have at the same time. Correct. Correct. Correct. I'm gonna need to source a calculator for that. Yep. And then I have my supply chain exam that afternoon.

16:28
Kieran
And this is on Friday, right?

16:30
Julia
You are correct.

16:30
Kieran
Okay.

16:31
Julia
Okay. And then I have my HR exam on the last day of exams.

16:35
Kieran
Correct.

16:35
Julia
Which is a Wednesday of the next week, but it's online. So I'm. I'll be going home the week before and I'll just take it. NCSU that was like open. No, Open book. Open brain. Like, you know. Yeah. Actively dissecting my brain, you know, but those are my Three like. Oh, wait. And I have my exam for my dance class is like the Tuesday of. Of like the Tuesday, like December 2nd or whatever.

17:03
Kieran
Oh, like the last day of classes before.

17:05
Julia
Yeah, but it's online, so it's like I've. I've already had my last dance class, which is Loki said. Because I love those grues. They're so sweet. Did I tell you I have an interview with Hitachi on Tuesday?

17:16
Kieran
You did?

17:17
Julia
Yeah. Anyway, sorry, because one of my dance class friends works at Hitachi and he was like, they want you. And I was like, oh, everybody wants me so bad. Right. So then I applied and they actually did one talk. I was like, that's crazy. Wait, guys, you're actually right. So those are my like final exams and then my projects. I have a final project for my Islam class which is do last day of exams. But I'm. I'm. It's gonna be a podcast and I'm filming it today so I can tune it in like three days from now.

17:45
Kieran
Yeah.

17:46
Julia
And then I have a final paper. It's like 10 pages for my theories of globalization class, but I already have like the entire outline and like all that, like all my sources of all that stuff, so I just have to write it. Yeah. Which honestly I. It does not take me long to write a paper so I could sit down and be done like three, four hours. Yeah, that's my final exam situation.

18:09
Kieran
Mine is like not horrible, as we know. I've said many times. Because I don't ever stop talking about it.

18:17
Julia
Right.

18:17
Kieran
I'm taking seven classes, so you know, there's a few exams that I have to take. I have one exam on Thursday, so our last day of class is Tuesday. We get one reading day, which I also think is ludicrous, but whatever.

18:28
Julia
One reading day for like that many exams is like, okay, girl, whatever.

18:33
Kieran
It's fine. See if I care. So Thursday I have one exam at like 8:30 in the morning. It's my microeconomics exam.

18:40
Julia
Ooh, stink.

18:41
Kieran
And then Friday I have two exams. Our stats exam at 8:30 on Friday and then my marketing exam at like 4:30.

18:48
Julia
Oh, but that's okay.

18:49
Kieran
Yeah, we get four pages front and back. So like, I'm not really going to study cumulative.

18:53
Julia
No.

18:54
Kieran
Oh, but like low key. I've only been getting like mid-80s on.

18:57
Julia
All of them, but it's fine.

18:59
Kieran
They only count like 10% of my grade. It's fine. And then my last exam is Monday. I have my weather and climate one, which I think that's the one I'm most worried about. I just need to get better than a 75 on it though and I should be okay.

19:14
Julia
You can do that.

19:15
Kieran
I'm hoping to get like an 85. That's like all I care about but we'll see how that works out for me. And then I have to do my entrepreneurship class has. I have to do a exam and I have a pitch due. I have to do like. But it's like an online open o. Open book.

19:35
Julia
Okay. Yeah.

19:36
Kieran
40 questions or something that I can take whenever. And then I have to. We've been like spending all this semester like developing a product and going through like the different business stuff. So we have to do like a two minute pitch about it that we submit and then I have to do for my professional development class on Tuesday that before exams start I have a virtual or like a mock interview, like refreshing thing.

19:59
Julia
Yeah. Isn't that the LinkedIn one?

20:02
Kieran
No, it's for.

20:03
Julia
Don't you do. Because I, I took that class the same professor and our like mock interview was on LinkedIn. Oh, there's AI.

20:10
Kieran
We're doing it through this like new system that she's using for the first time. It's like, you know, like for the interviews how sometimes they'll just like have it ask you a prompt and you get like one take and you respond to it. Yeah, it's kind of like that. But it's like there's this like AI person on the screen who looks real.

20:24
Julia
Oh.

20:24
Kieran
And like you just have like a basically conversation with them. So they're like tell us about a time when blank. Tell us a time when blank and. And you just like do it and then. But it like will assess your background and it'll assess what you're wearing and.

20:35
Julia
Like oh my God.

20:36
Kieran
But she's not grading us on what the AI score gives us just because they haven't tested it out. They've tested it. But she's like, I don't want to like trust it. NCSU it's my first time using it. So we have to do like a reflection on it and like what we scored and why we thought and what we would have. Blah, blah. And that's what we'll get graded on for the most part. And as long as we do the AI thing, it'll be fine.

20:57
Julia
So yeah.

20:58
Kieran
Anyhow, all of that to say is I think those are all of my exams. My lab is done. Praise the Lord. I am so done. I'm going to Jordan hall at 5:20 until 6:00 Every single freaking Thursday. My stats class don't have to go anymore. Don't have to do a single more stats homework. Thank God.

21:16
Julia
Okay. That those last homeworks were like, girl, be so for real. Because I open it and it's like, oh, only three questions. And then every question has A through F17. And then for each letter there's gonna be at least five parts. So there's like, okay, girl, be so for me.

21:30
Kieran
I almost threw my computer more than one time in class. Like, I was so angry.

21:35
Julia
Anyhow, anyway, I'm fine.

21:37
Kieran
See if I care. What are with this in mind, what is your. Your strat? Like, what's your plan going into it? Or are you just gonna wing it?

21:50
Julia
I don't know. I, like, have gotten all my, like, homeworks done. Yeah. And why? One more essay to write for my Islam class, which, by the way, I turned in an essay a couple weeks ago and he finally gave me my grade back and I got an 89. And I was like, what? What? Because on all the other ones I've gotten 98. So I was like, what? But also I knew it was not my best work, so I turned it in like five minutes before it was due.

22:16
Kieran
So, you know, you can't win them all.

22:18
Julia
Anyway, so I finish all my homework for the most part, and I'm going to finish all my, like, final projects and my final paper, like, hopefully this week or like. Yeah, before, like the last day of class. So then I can just focus on my exams. And I think reading day. And then. Which is Wednesday, right?

22:36
Kieran
Yes, reading day.

22:38
Julia
And then Thursday I'm just going to be locked in on supply chain and stats.

22:43
Kieran
Yeah.

22:43
Julia
Because those are my only, like, hard ones. Like, for my SAS exam. Like, I actually have to like.

22:49
Kieran
Yeah.

22:49
Julia
You know, because right when we get to the part about horror stories, I'll. I'll let you know about that. Yeah. But anyway, so I'm just gonna. I have a good system on my supply chain exam that worked well for the last exam. I like. It's like the exams are more on the, like, concept, like stuff rather than like the math of supply chain, which is like, slay, because I don't get the math. But that's like, my fault because I don't really pay attention. So. But like, what? Shocker.

23:19
Kieran
No, no, Julia, never.

23:22
Julia
Oh, my God, no. Anyway, so I do a lot of quizlets and flashcards. I'm a big fan because somebody out there made. Made them for that class, like, for all the exams. And I Said, I love you, whoever you are.

23:34
Kieran
Thank you.

23:35
Julia
You have given me life. Anyway, so I do that for, like, a few hours, setting, like, the concepts and stuff. And then I, like, work through some of the homework problems. He, like, gives us, like, a list of problems that he's like, these could.

23:47
Kieran
Potentially, maybe, if I were the exam.

23:51
Julia
I would say I might say, hey. So I, like, do some of those, and I, like, try to figure them out. But mostly I focus on the concepts. And then that usually works. I can get about, like, an 80 by doing that. Yeah. So I just. That should, like, be an okay grade for that, like, exam. And then for the stats exam, we're.

24:11
Kieran
Going to try New Strat.

24:12
Julia
New Strat. New Strat.

24:13
Kieran
Of studying with Kieran.

24:14
Julia
Of studying with Kieran. Yes. This is true.

24:16
Kieran
And Hunter.

24:17
Julia
And Hunter. And one time homing will go well. Because you guys kind of understand what we're doing. Because you've taken stats before.

24:22
Kieran
Well, so I took AP Stats in high school, and a lot of the stuff we're doing in stats right now is just very similar to AP Stats. Yeah. So I, like, somewhat understand it. But what I've kind of figured out is the stats class is just calculator functions.

24:35
Julia
Yeah.

24:35
Kieran
So all you really need to do is just figure out what works. Words mean what. Calculator functions.

24:39
Julia
This is true.

24:40
Kieran
And once you do that, you're set. Yeah. Because historically, math has been actually my worst subject. I was always sucked at math. Not because I, like. I, like, understood it. But my biggest thing, like, growing up is I never understood why we had to do it.

24:52
Julia
Right.

24:53
Kieran
So then I was always, like, mad at it. I was like, I don't understand. I was like, but why? Like, I don't understand why this does this. Like, why, like, one plus one equals two. Sure. But why, like, who decided this? Like, why are we trusting that? Like, so then I would just, like, whatever. And then in high school, I had, like, so many teachers who were like, I just graduated, but I barely passed, so we're gonna learn this together. And then everybody got, like, an F. And I was like, oh, are you okay? That was humbling. But I've been doing really well in college. Cause I've been really, like, locking in. So for stats, what I usually do is I study the night before the exam for, like, five hours in the library.

25:31
Julia
Classic.

25:31
Kieran
And then an hour before the exam, I'll go sit in the coffee shop and go over all the problems on the. The practice test. And, like, any of the ones that I, like, somewhat struggled with. Or they needed to do a second time. I'll do them again and then I'll go through all the ones that I thought I knew. And then I usually do like an hour and a half before my exam.

25:50
Julia
And then I love that coffee.

25:53
Kieran
Not Jubala. What did I say? 3, 2, 1. Okay. I don't know where I'm at.

25:56
Julia
3, 2, 1, 5, 6, 7, 8. WKNC ABC like easy as 1, 2, 3. Yeah.

26:03
Kieran
So my. Let's see what my game plan is. I think I'm going to study for my micro exam on Wednesday. Okay. Because here's the thing. She doesn't put up practice like she puts up practice questions. But it's like, so our final is cumulative.

26:16
Julia
It's right.

26:17
Kieran
It's 100 questions. Which I was like, you have to be so for real. So I'm pretty sure it's just like 40, like 30 questions from the first exam, 30 questions for the second exam and 30 questions from the last one. Or like 33 or whatever. Which I was like, oh my good God. But she doesn't do practice problems. The study guides are just like 20 questions and then I know all the answers to them. So then I'm like, okay, I'm set. And then I go in and take the exam and I get like an 86 on it. I'm like, right. So I guess I'm not that set. I don't. So I'm not really sure how that's gonna go for me because I don't know how to practice it if I know how to do the study guide. But it's only 16 questions.

26:55
Julia
Yeah.

26:55
Kieran
For a 100 question exam. Like what am I supposed to do with that? Right. So we'll see how that goes. My SATs when I'm just gonna sit in the library for five hours and hope. Because it usually takes five hours to get through the 40 questions.

27:07
Julia
Whatever.

27:07
Kieran
See if I care. My marketing one should be fine. I'm just gonna do. I'm gonna just put our notes onto a Google or a piece of paper and then I'll highlight the important things. And as long as I just like get like an 80 something, I don't really care that much. And then my weather and climate one, I'm low key scared for that one. I'm thinking of buying a whiteboard. Wow. And. Or finding one somewhere.

27:36
Julia
Right.

27:37
Kieran
I don't know. Or maybe getting like a shower curtain or something.

27:40
Julia
Yeah, I saw. Get a clear shower curtain and tape it on the wall.

27:42
Kieran
That's what my roommate did. She bought Shower curtains. And so she was studying for her anatomy exam. And she had, like, a literal, like. Yeah, whole, like, all of her walls.

27:50
Julia
Were covered in it.

27:50
Kieran
I was like, good God. Yeah, so maybe I'll do that. I haven't decided yet. Well, because here's my thing. Never trust the library. Finding a study spot is absolute war. You think class registration is war? Try and find somewhere to study during finals week. War. The entire time you're on campus. I feel like you'll never really understand that there's 40,000 people until it's finals week. All of a sudden, everyone is everywhere all at once.

28:12
Julia
And I was in Talley this morning getting my coffee and my breakfast, and there are. There are people asleep in the booth.

28:18
Kieran
Yes.

28:18
Julia
Because they were there all night.

28:20
Kieran
Yes. People sleeping in the library is a real thing. Like, people sleep there overnight. Like, it's a thing. And I, like, knew it was a thing, but, like, it's a thing.

28:28
Julia
If you go to Centennial, they, like, do that all the time. Like, they'll stay up, like, all night, like, see the sunrise.

28:33
Kieran
And that's crazy because I would never do that.

28:35
Julia
Oh, no, no. I, like, one thing about me is right here, it says sleep goes out the window for me. It does not. I always prioritize. Okay. Yeah. I mean, as we know, I go to bed, like, somewhere between 9 and 10 every night. Because if I don't, then I'm grumpy. Like today I'm grumpy because I didn't sleep good last night.

28:50
Kieran
Yeah.

28:50
Julia
So, like, I, like, must sleep or else I will fail my exams. Like, because I'll just be in a bad mood.

28:56
Kieran
I usually try and keep my routines the same. Yeah. For the most part. But, like, everything, usually my amount of sleep is the same. It's just when I go to sleep that might be different. As long as I get the same amount of time, usually I'm okay.

29:08
Julia
Yeah.

29:08
Kieran
Because usually I'm going to bed from like, 12 and then waking up like, 11 to 7 or like 12 to 8 or, like, somewhere in that range. So I'm still getting, like, eight hours. So even if I go to bed at, like, one, as long as I'm waking up at nine, like, it's fine. Or like seven, like, as long as I'm getting at least like, six hours, it's fine.

29:24
Julia
Yeah.

29:26
Kieran
One of the things that I have on here is ice cream is on tap. And I live by that. During finals last year, like, I was literally like, there's a photo of me during finals week with, like, seven Cups of the howling cow, ice cream in my arms. Yeah, they wasn't all for me. It was just like they were. I took seven of them and then they sat in my freezer and they were gone within a week. You could do the math. So yeah, it's a trying time. Like you kind of just like I also put social etiquette goes out the door. Like I'm wearing the same outfit for three days. Like I have my final sweatpants. And that's all I'm saying about that.

29:58
Julia
Like, right.

29:59
Kieran
I have to get ready. I feel like. Or else I like don't feel like a real human. Like I need to have some level of like decency in my life. And so I like try and at least just put on like an outfit.

30:09
Julia
No, I, when I.

30:10
Kieran
But It's. It's a 5050 weather. That outfit consists of sweatpants or yoga pants. Like it's, there's really. You'll never see me in a pair of jeans during finals week.

30:18
Julia
Well, one thing about me is I feel more like confident when I like do spend a lot of time getting ready like days and like final exams. Like I remember one year when I was at uncw, I was about to take my microeconomics final and I hadn't studied very much. Right. I did fine. But I like, I got up early that morning and I was like, I'm going to study. Like I got like super early. Instead I spent like two hours curling my hair and doing a full on blowout. Full face of makeup. Showed up, hadn't studied. Yeah. And I slayed. Like I like that, that bit of confidence that I get is like more valuable like grade wise than the extra like two hours studying. Yeah.

31:05
Kieran
Well, let me tell you an opposite story of that. This is my first horror story. We have a section of horror and success stories. They're mainly just horror stories. This is my favorite one and it's called Kieran wakes up 30 minutes into her calc Final.

31:18
Julia
Now tell me about that picture.

31:19
Kieran
This, this was last year when I still live in the dorms, right. And so me and my roommate at this point, because it's still fall semester, we like were friends enough that were like waking each other up if we knew the other person. We were pretty like familiar with each other's schedule. So usually we knew or would have told each other, like, I'm not gonna go to class tomorrow. Like I don't care. Or sometimes we'd wake each other up and like, oh, I'm not going. Or it's like, oh, shoot. Thank you for like getting me up. Like, whatever. So I had this calc final and I'm like, Or I think this is when I was taking pre calc. Laura not gonna shame me for taking pre calc in the calc, but I was taking pre calc.

31:51
Kieran
And this was like, I had like an A in the class, but it was. Or like an A minus. And so I was. It like kind of mattered what I did because I just wanted an A. I was like, I don't really care where that I fall as long as it's like, well. And I had studied a bunch. I like, went to bed at like 9pm I was like, this is gonna be great. I'm gonna get up at like 7, do a little like hour long of review and then hit it down. It'll be great. My Exam started at 8:30. 9:30. My roommate is shaking me awake. Oh, she's shaking me awake. And so I like, get up.

32:24
Julia
I'm like, what?

32:24
Kieran
Like, what is going on? She's like, don't you have an exam right now? And I was like, I shoot up. Like if I like, you know, like in animation movies when they like fly seven feet in the air and come back down? That was me. Like, I actually went up and I'll probably almost hit the ceiling. And I look at my phone, it's 9:30. My exam started an hour ago. That is so my Exam started at 8:30, as at 11:30. I woke up at 9:30. And so this, I think, was also one of my first exams. So, like, as a freshman who's never taken a college exam before, you know, so I literally, I think I'm wearing, if I recall my outfit correctly, pajama shorts that were like a size too big for me, a tank top, a flannel. That wasn't mine.

33:00
Kieran
I don't remember whose it was. It wasn't mine though. And it wasn't my roommates. I think it was actually my friend Brady's. I think he'd given it to me because I forgot to bring a jacket when I was walking back to his dorm. And I was cold so I stole it. So I'm wearing that tank top, shorts that are too big, and socks that are not the same socks, but one of them is shorter than the other. My hair is like. I think I slept in a bun. So it was like all sorts of everything. And slippers, but not slippers that have the backs on them. Like slippers that are meant for like walking like seven steps at most, right? And I just grab my keys, a pencil, and a calculator and I just run out the door.

33:33
Julia
Yeah.

33:34
Kieran
And I start like, speed walking.

33:35
Julia
What building was your exam in?

33:36
Kieran
I was in Welch and my exam was in sas, so it wasn't that. Oh no, it was in Park Shops. That's where it was. Was in Park Shops. So it's not. It's not far. Like, I just.

33:49
Julia
It was.

33:50
Kieran
It could have been so much worse. And so I'm like speed walking. I'm on the phone with my mom. She's like, hey, sweetie, go look on your exam today. I was like, my exam started an hour ago. I just woke up. I don't know what happened. Like, she's like, oh my God, you gotta go. And I was like, I know. Like, I was like, I'm gonna fail. Like, I don't even know what to do. She's like, just go. Like, take a breath. It's gonna be fine. And like this professor I knew cause she was also my neighbor growing up. So I like walk in looking all sorts of everything. Because also picture this. It's like December, so it's cold, so I'm freezing in my shorts. And so I like get there. And I was like, everyone's taking their exam.

34:24
Kieran
They all look at me and I'm like, we all know what's happening right now.

34:27
Julia
Yeah.

34:28
Kieran
And she walks up, she's like, girl, I was about to call you. Like, I thought you weren't coming. And I was like, no, I just woke up. She's like, it's okay. Like, it's fine. Like, go sit. She like, gets me a seat and I literally sit there and I just like stare blankly for like 10 minutes. Cause I'm like, I don't even know how to spell my name. It literally took me two minutes to write down my name because I couldn't figure it out. I was so gone. I was so, like, I'm so cooked. Ended up getting, I think an 89 on that.

34:50
Julia
Okay.

34:51
Kieran
Not sure how I pulled that off.

34:53
Julia
Slut.

34:53
Kieran
But also, at one point she came up to me and she's like, are you okay? And I was like, I don't know. I can't remember anything. I'm just so. She's like, well, if I were you, I would look at options B and C. And I said, okay, I can do that.

35:04
Julia
I would explore options B and C.

35:06
Kieran
And I said, right, so are you thinking more like option C I should put some more focus on or B? And we kind of like tag teamed our way.

35:12
Julia
Right?

35:12
Kieran
But I got an 89.

35:13
Julia
Okay?

35:14
Kieran
So it was fine. But I have never, like, the fear of God has put in me. Like I have like since then. I think I have so much stress about that. I wake up like an hour and a half before my exams just because.

35:25
Julia
Like I, I like to camp outside my exams for at least an hour before they start just in case.

35:31
Kieran
I just can't. I need to be within like a 10 step radius of my exam an hour before it starts. Just for some reason the professor decided, you know, randomly to start the exam an hour earlier.

35:39
Julia
Right.

35:39
Kieran
Has never once happened. But you know. Yeah.

35:43
Julia
Yeah. Let me tell you about my recent horror stories when I. This is on our last stats exam, I studied for hours and hours. Yeah. Nearing the mark of 12 hours, I studied for this. Yeah. And I get to the exam and I say, okay. And I sit down. It was in Delta, right? So I like wasn't in a classroom. I was just, I was all alone.

36:09
Kieran
Delta has seen me at so many points in life.

36:12
Julia
Like, yeah, those poor people. Anyhow, like, anyway, I sat down and I started this exam and I took the entire time, which was already a scary thought. Like I like almost did not answer all the questions on the last two. I just clicked random answers. I was like, okay, I turn it in, I look at my grade, I say, oh, okay. I was like, I, I, it was like I felt like I got at least a 60. Like, you know, and that's like, at least I got a 33. I got a 33.

36:48
Kieran
I do remember you messaging about that. Like that exam just like freaked me up the butt.

36:53
Julia
Like, yes, that is exactly what I said. Yes. Because it did. And it did. In a bad way. Yeah, in a bad way.

36:59
Kieran
I have a similar story to this, actually. Last fall, the same time I'm taking precalc, I was taking anthropology, which as a freshman. Don't ever take anthropology. I was recently talking to someone, I don't remember who it was about my first semester schedule. And I was like, yeah, I took nutrition and pre calc and anthropology and this. And they're like, you took that as a freshman? Yeah, I was like, yeah, they're like, why would you have ever done that? And I was like, because I didn't have an advisor. I didn't know. So I was taking anthropology and that class. Like, I didn't know what I was going to do because I didn't really understand how classes work. So I was just like, yeah, sure, I'll take anthropology accounts or something. So why Not. And I did so bad in that class.

37:36
Kieran
Got an F on every single exam. Which was crazy because in high school I was low key, a goody two shoes. So I like, never gone below like a 95 in my. In a class in my life. Except for Chemistry. I got a 90 in that and I thought my life was over. Oh, I got an 89 or something like that. So that was really humbling for me. But then I got to the final. I was like, okay, like, I need to low key log in. Like, I just need to finish with the B of some variety. Because we also had like a couple projects that I did really well on. Like, I got one hundreds on those. So that's what was like saving me. And I like, studied for 20 hours. I kid you not. Like, yeah, that's not even an exaggeration.

38:10
Kieran
I put in 20 hours. Like, there's multiple days for hours at a time. Like, people saw me outside of work because I just was in different places around campus just like studying for this anthropology exam. And I went in and I took it and then I got an F. It was actually like one of my worst ones too, I think. I actually think I got like a 59 or something. Like. Or 58 on it.

38:30
Julia
Yeah.

38:30
Kieran
And I was like, what?

38:32
Julia
It like, does not make any sense sometimes.

38:34
Kieran
And I remember just walking out, just like staring at the world. I was like, I don't even know where I go from here. I finished the class with like a B minus or a B or something like that. So it was fine. Like, it ended up being fine. But I was just like, what, like, what is life like? I don't even like, why did I put all this work in? And I did everything right and I did all the things you're supposed to.

38:54
Julia
Do, and somehow, yeah, sometimes there's no winning. But then somehow, like, I feel like a lot of professors drop grades at the end of the semester and like. Or like replace. Like if you like, do better in your final day. And sometimes that like, actually saves me. Like, somehow my grade will go up like 10 points. And I'm like, wait, okay, I'm passing.

39:16
Kieran
Me when I'm intelligent.

39:18
Julia
Wait, wait. My last HR exam brought my grade up 10 points. Like, yeah, I like, turned it in. I was like, wait, wait.

39:28
Kieran
I love that. My other end of the spectrum though, of like, a success story that I want to share is in my Legacy of Lynching class that I took last spring.

39:36
Julia
Good memories.

39:37
Kieran
I actually loved that class. I've talked about it before and I'LL say it again. I love that class. It was a 495 level class while I was only five away from a grad level course. I don't know, but whatever, I got 100 in it. Our final was not an exam, but to write a 3,000 word essay.

39:54
Julia
Oh, yeah.

39:54
Kieran
On a topic related to lynching of our choice. And let me tell you this, there wasn't much in the way of a rubric except that I had to have 20 sources. And, like, the sources were like, specific. We had like five newspapers, three primary, two secondary. It was all like laid out for us on the sources. And then we just had to write about something. And so I remember, like, sitting in jubala for like hours, just like literally staring at my screen because I was like, what the freak do I do? Like, I've never had to like. And I had no guidelines and I was stressing out. But the saving grace about it was that our professor was like, you can turn in your draft. Bless you, sneeze count. Like four.

40:32
Julia
That's only two. So that's only two.

40:34
Kieran
Oh, I forgot even the coughs of what I was counting.

40:37
Julia
Damn, I mean dang.

40:38
Kieran
Oh, my gosh. Watch your language. So we could turn in our drafts. And so I like, I remember getting finally to the 3,000 words. I'm like, in the car, driving to Florida, and I finally submit it and I open up for feedback. And he's like, hey, you should, like, low key. You're at the whole thing, right? And I rage, quit. I was like, screaming in the car. I was like, we have to be so serious right now. Like, I put so much freaking work into this.

41:03
Julia
Like, right?

41:03
Kieran
Because it was like 13 pages. Like, or closer to 20. Like, I was like, so angry. And so I like, click on all that. There's like 100 edits. Most of them are just grammar because I can't spell to save my life, right? And so I like, fix it all and I send it back to him and he's like, all right, sounds good. And I was like, what do you mean, sounds good? Like, sounds good. Like an A. Sounds good. Like a B. Sounds good. Like sounds good. What? I got 100 on it.

41:27
Julia
Yeah.

41:27
Kieran
And I remember physically jumping and I was like, oh, my God. And I was like, someone needs to publish this. Like, I'm an acclaimed author. Like, that was crazy love. So my favorite classes, though, that's my one success story.

41:40
Julia
I feel like one. I like, my success stories are kind of similar. One of my, like, greatest, genuinely greatest talents academically is That I can write up to 10 pages. Actually, one time I wrote 18 pages on something I have not read. And I took a class at uncw. I think it was just gender and sexuality, which is a really interesting class. I loved it. But I. We had like, our final grade was like this like book review situation and I read in quotations, a book. I said I was going to read a book on hookup culture on like American college campuses. I didn't read it right. 18 pages, 100.

42:26
Kieran
Wow.

42:27
Julia
And then in my history class that same semester, we had to write five page papers. Like, we had to write like five or six of them throughout the semester on like old plays, like historical, like the Odyssey and all that stuff. And I got A's on all those papers and I didn't read any of the plays or the books. And I can also like one of my classes, my Global Capitalism. It's discontents I took with Frank. We had to do like discussion posts every week and they had to be like two pages long. And I never read any of the articles and I got one hundreds on all of them.

43:04
Kieran
Oh my God, you are Sparknote.

43:06
Julia
I. Yeah, I don't know. It's like one thing about me is I can like. What do you call it? Like philosophy. Philosophy.

43:15
Kieran
Is that philosophical?

43:17
Julia
No, no, I can like. Is that a word? Philosophize.

43:24
Kieran
Well, what's the rest of the sentence?

43:26
Julia
I can philosophize my way into like, I can philosophize like eight pages. Like.

43:33
Kieran
Oh, like you can just take the main themes from the first 10 and like apply it to the rest.

43:36
Julia
Yeah. Like I can like connect things that like make no sense, but I can connect them in a way that does make sense in a way that I know my professor will receive.

43:45
Kieran
You can philosophically connect themes?

43:47
Julia
Yeah, and I enjoy doing that. It's like a puzzle to me and being like, okay, my professor like uses these words all the time. So if I can connect the use of these words in like my daily life to like show that you're understanding. Yeah. So that's. That's kind of where it comes in. But I. That's what I wrote down. I love those exams that are like, you know, those blue books.

44:05
Kieran
Yeah.

44:06
Julia
And you know, just the exam is just. You have to like write three essays in two hours.

44:10
Kieran
Yeah.

44:10
Julia
I had one of my classes two semesters ago was a. One of my religious studies classes. Like, I think it was just Religion in the Modern world or something, but it was all about Christianity. Shocker. NC State class about Christianity. But. But all the exams are like, write three essays in two hours in this blue book. And I, like, use, like, multiple blue books every time. Yeah, but I love those exams. Like, and you could have notes or anything, but you still had to use quotes and references, so you had to memorize them to use in your essays, which is like. That's actually t. But I got all A's on those exams, so that's how.

44:46
Kieran
I felt when I was taking a push and AP Laying. I, like, struggle with history a lot. Not just because, like, I find it really boring, because it's usually the same, like, seven topics. That's true for 12 years straight.

44:58
Julia
Yes.

44:59
Kieran
Which is why I learned my Lynching class so much, because it was finally something that was, like, real. But anyways. Or not real. Obviously, all history is real, but, like, different. And so there's like, the multiple choice and then the essay question. So I was like, watching so much, like, whatever, trying to just hope my way through the multiple choice questions. And then on the long answer one, which is, like, the most important. See, as long as you did well on that, you were usually like, okay, I remember. I don't remember what the topic was, but it was something around, like, symbolism to, like, how North. North America changes or whatever. And I connected the Pledge of Allegiance to it.

45:32
Julia
Okay.

45:33
Kieran
And, like, I simply. I, like, simplified something like our changing who were to be one. Like, we're united together, like we're one nation under, like, we're individual. Like, justice for all. And I, like, connect. And I remember writing that. And I was like, oh, my God, like, if I could mic drop right now, like, y' all are even ready to read this. I got a three. But I. I passed it.

45:54
Julia
Whatever.

45:55
Kieran
But I also did that on my AP Lang one because the question was somewhat similar. And I was like, oh, my God, I just wrote about this. I was, like, bringing in historical facts. And I was bringing. Because I, like, just wrote about it the day before. And I remember, like, I was like, oh, my God, like, somebody give me an extra piece of paper. Like, I need. Like, I need to be published. Like, I just. Eight. Oh, I only got, like, a four.

46:15
Julia
But, like, this is kind of you saying you need an excuse. Paper is kind of reminding me of when I was in, like, fourth grade. Our math teacher is like, okay, guys, you can ask for as much paper as you want. Like, write as big as you want. Like, don't. You don't need to, like, you know, save paper. Like, whatever helps you do as Good as you can. And so I. I genuinely recall an entire sheet of like printer paper sitting in front of me. Taking my pencil. I write one singular like division problem, like long division problem, covering the entire piece of paper. I solve the problem. I say I need another piece of paper. I like, would solve one. One problem. Because I used to take things very literally. Yeah, I still okie do. But like, oops.

46:59
Julia
Yeah, but that just laid me. I forgot that I had done that. There's like a stack of papers here with one problem on each of them. Oh my gosh, that is so funny. Anyway, we should probably do notes app now.

47:10
Kieran
What time are we at?

47:12
Julia
47 minutes.

47:13
Kieran
Oh my God. Yeah, Well, I just want to say like my one, like piece of advice for finals. My quick philosophy one. Well, also I just wanted to say, like, I feel like studying is so freaking whatever because I was never taught how to study in high school.

47:28
Julia
Well, this is. This is what it says. Was never taught how to study till college and had to figure it out and flop majorly. Dash Julia still hasn't figured it out. Bock Dash. Neither has Kieran.

47:38
Kieran
Yeah, I never, like, I always usually wait till the day before to study. Not because I like procrastinate, but because I'll never remember it.

47:44
Julia
It'll stick in your head better. Yeah.

47:45
Kieran
I just need to do it the night before, like right before. It's a cram and dump situation, which is not good. But that's just how I do best. But I never figured out how to study it until I got to college. Because in high school everything came pretty naturally to me. I would study here and there, but it was like 20 minutes of me just like going through vocab terms or something like that. And then in college, like, I had to actually, like, learn how to study, like POV anthropology. And I never did. Like, I never figured it out. I still haven't, but I. Like, I was sitting there like, I don't even know what to do. Like, I don't know where to start.

48:15
Julia
Like, yeah, it's intimidating. The. The starting. This. Figuring out how to start is the most important part. Once you get in it, you can like, do it, but it's just like knowing you have to study. I mean, like, I don't even know. There's just so much I just can't. That's how I feel. That's the problem that I have.

48:29
Kieran
So what I've tried to do, like, if that is also you. What I try and do as best as I can, is set myself up as like as well as I possibly can muster out during the semester, and to never bank on the final when I can. Sometimes there's classes like anthropology where you're just going through it, you just gotta do it, and eventually whatever happens. But like, I try my absolute hardest to do well on every single assignment. Because I remember after the first semester I was like looking at my grades and I realized that I have. If I had just taken the time to like really dig into how to study, I would have had a 100 in pretty much every single class because I got 100 on every single assignment, project, essay, like, quiz.

49:09
Kieran
But I always did so awful in the exams that it brought my grade down like 20 points by the end of it, right? And so I realized I was like, if I just figured out how to freaking study or at least not fail my exams, I would have like insane grades. They would be so good. And it was better my second semester because I had a little more experience. And I also took a lot of classes that were just writing based. And I'm a lot better at essays than I am exams. But yeah, my piece of advice is to, I mean, as hard as it is, really try and set yourself up during the semester so that your final is more of just another exam versus the final. If that makes sense.

49:48
Julia
My piece of advice is that I think a lot of people choose to give, like sacrifice sleep or food or rest or, I don't know, things that you have to do to like, be healthy and be well. They sacrifice those things to study. I think a lot of my friends that are engineers do that. And that is not sustainable nor beneficial for taking an exam. Like, your brain needs rest. Your brain needs nutrients and fuel to be able to take an exercise exam. And like, yes, grades are important in college, but they genuinely don't define you. Like, once you graduate, no one cares. Nobody gives a freak about your grades at all. Like, C's get degrees. Like you do not need to not sleep for three days to study for an exam and then like, you know, be unhealthy.

50:41
Julia
Like, it's not worth it to do that. That's always my philosophy. Like, school is not my life. Like, my grades are not my life because that is just not what you're.

50:52
Kieran
Gonna do for the rest of your life.

50:53
Julia
Right? Like, what I get in a freaking stats class does not.

50:57
Kieran
Oh, that's why I just ended up not caring about anthropology because I was like, obviously for me, because obviously, you know, I came from doing really well in high school that I was like, I have to do well in college. And I knew the whole like, CS gets degree things, but there was like things that I wanted to do and be a part of that required me to have like a certain GPA or whatever. And so obviously I was like, okay, well I can't just like get Cs and everything because there's a couple things I want to do that just require me to have like a certain gpa. But like, it was really like a world switch of like getting an 80 is actually pretty impressive.

51:25
Kieran
Like when I was telling people, I was like, yeah, I took that accounting course over the summer and I got, I finished a class with like a B plus. They're like a B plus. That's a miracle. You finished a five week accounting course with a B plus. And I was like, I know. Like, it was only a B plus, like girl. And they're like, no, girl. Like, that's impressive. And I was like, oh wait, like it kind of is. Like, obviously I'm not trying to be like, yeah, I did that. Like, you know, but like, I forget that. Like, yeah, obviously I want to have a certain GPA for certain things, but it's not 4.0. They're not asking for perfection. They're just asking that you're putting an effort.

51:55
Julia
Right.

51:55
Kieran
Because it's usually just like a 3.2 GPA.

51:57
Julia
Right.

51:58
Kieran
And so usually you can get that by I think, getting mainly c's and b's.

52:02
Julia
Yeah.

52:03
Kieran
Or something like that.

52:04
Julia
I like, I feel like I immediately forget what I was going to say.

52:08
Kieran
Yeah, I feel like that too.

52:09
Julia
No, yeah. What was I going to say? Yeah, I can't remember.

52:15
Kieran
Okay, we can switch to notes app if you want.

52:16
Julia
Okay, let's do it.

52:17
Kieran
My notes, I think is I freaking hate putting away laundry. We were talking about this earlier. I hate putting away laundry. I don't know what it is, but there are a few things in my life that I hate doing on a day to day. One of them is brushing my teeth. Brushing my teeth is so freaking boring. It takes literally two minutes and I hate it.

52:33
Julia
Yeah.

52:33
Kieran
Every single day I always have to do other things while I'm brushing my teeth because I'm so bored. Like, I hate brushing my teeth and that's how I feel about putting my laundry too. Like, I do it because I don't have the space to not put away my laundry.

52:43
Julia
Right.

52:45
Kieran
I hate folding and putting away my laundry. Like, I would literally rather. Like I need to be one of those rich people who have like so many outfits that they can go like A month and a half without doing laundry. Because, like, if I was rich, I think something I'd invested in someone else to do my laundry. Like, I. Yeah. Hate putting my clothes on hangers and putting them in drawers. It's so freaking annoying. It always makes my back hurt. My wrist always cramps because I have to sit down, because I would never stand up and put my laundry. Like, I don't hate myself that much.

53:09
Julia
Way too many clothes to be doing all that.

53:10
Kieran
I don't even have that many clothes either. I just. Because I literally just do, like, a load of laundry usually like, once a week or, like, week and a half. So I'm only ever putting away, like, 10 pairs of everything. I hate it. And it makes me so angry.

53:22
Julia
I. I agree. Like, at home, I just. Like, my mom's like, I'm gonna get your room ready for you. But I just don't know what to do with all these clothes because there are generally, like, eight baskets of clothes sitting around my room at home. And I. In my room here is about the same. Is also full. Yes. My notes up thing is, how is it possible that we have still not cured the common cold? Hello. Why are they actually. Yeah. Like, why are there so many medicines for the cold? But they don't.

53:50
Kieran
You've eliminated the Black Plague, Right.

53:52
Julia
And you can't eliminate the cold. Like, hello. Like, I'm.

53:56
Kieran
The best we can do is Dayquil, right?

53:58
Julia
The best. I'm. I'm on Mucinex. I'm on Alka Seltzer. I have ibuprofen for my throat. Like, I'm, like, doing whatever I can.

54:03
Kieran
It doesn't even work that well.

54:04
Julia
No, about you.

54:05
Kieran
But, like. Like, Nyquil stopped working for me. Like, I had to take Dayquil and Melatonin to bed at night because I like the Dayquil only somewhat. That's why I switched to Mucinex.

54:14
Julia
Yeah.

54:15
Kieran
It's because I. Mucinex is working for me right now because I can usually get through the exhaustion, the headache, whatever. It's just, like, the stuffy nose that I can't handle.

54:23
Julia
I can't deal with the scratchy throat. I can't sleep if I have a scratchy throat, because all I can think about is how I have a scratchy throat. Yeah. Yeah.

54:29
Kieran
And actually, that is such a good point. How are we still stuck on the common cold? Like, we whipped up the cure for Covid in, like, a few months.

54:36
Julia
Right?

54:36
Kieran
Like, we couldn't put all our resources to just lock in on the cold.

54:40
Julia
Right.

54:40
Kieran
Like, let's Take a pause.

54:42
Julia
Right.

54:42
Kieran
Let's not, actually, because there's very important things. But, like, also, like, can we slide in? Can we allocate some time for the common cold?

54:48
Julia
And I feel like, without fail, every year during exam season, I get sick.

54:53
Kieran
Yes.

54:53
Julia
Like last year, obviously, it was the stomach hug. I've shared that already, remember? And this year it's this.

54:58
Kieran
Yeah.

54:59
Julia
And it's so annoying.

55:00
Kieran
I don't even. I can't.

55:02
Julia
And I. Like, when I get a cold, it makes me, like, I kind of. I low key, lose my appetite. And I'm like, what?

55:07
Kieran
Yeah.

55:07
Julia
What? No.

55:09
Kieran
But I also feel worse because I'm not eating and I'm, like, hyperglycemic. So, like, if I don't eat my blood right, your pressure or sugar will drop faster, which I know is the most pick me thing I could actually ever say. My doctor told me.

55:22
Julia
No, I. I understand. I feel that way too. I feel that way too. I don't know. I'm just, like, actually so annoyed at.

55:28
Kieran
Me laying on the couch in fetal position when you were like, hey, are you, like, awake? I was like, I don't know.

55:34
Julia
I don't know.

55:35
Kieran
Because I also was getting period cramps at the same. Day one. Period cramps or like, day two or what? Like, the first round of it at the same time that, like, a wave of nausea hit me. And so I was literally just sitting on the couch, like. And I was, like, rubbing my head and I was like, it's okay. Everything's fine.

55:51
Julia
I love having to comfort myself.

55:53
Kieran
So I was so great. I literally felt like I was rocking myself to sleep and I was like, I just have to get through the day. I just have to get through. And then I drank a coffee dated bagel and I was like, okay, wait. Like, I'm back.

56:01
Julia
Okay, wait, no, that was. So we got brunch yesterday, and we both got there and were, like, disassociated for at least 30 minutes. And, like, were, like, both so grumpy. Yeah. And then they put the food in front of us, and all of a sudden we're like.

56:12
Kieran
No, because I, like, literally holding the table with both my hands to hold myself up. I was like, I can't open my eyes. Like, I had a headache that was like my entire head. And it was like, the worst ones are when it's over your eyes. So I'm like, I can't look, I can't blink, I can't close my eyes. I can't, like, exist. I was like, I just need to rock.

56:26
Julia
Yeah.

56:26
Kieran
And just hope. And then I ate, and then I was like, oh, wait, wow. But it actually went away.

56:30
Julia
So, yeah.

56:31
Kieran
Life hack. Eat when you're sick.

56:32
Julia
That's weird. Whoa. Who would have thought?

56:35
Kieran
I'm going to try and chug water, because from what I read on the Internet, chugging water is one of the most. Like, from what I found from all my 18 different sources, I looked at all of them all said, if you just drink a lot of water, fluid helps.

56:45
Julia
Yeah, yeah. So I. Like, yesterday, I had to go to work. Like, I. Yeah. Sunday evening. Sure. So I made it like a double cup of tea. It was like the throat coat. The. And I chugged it on my way to work, and I was like, okay, I can. I can do this. I can do this. And I made it through.

57:02
Kieran
So, yeah, I need to Google the healthiest amount of vitamin C in a liquid IV that I can take.

57:07
Julia
Like, how much is possible?

57:08
Kieran
Yeah. How much is like. And if it actually works? Because I think I'm gonna make myself a little mocktail of orange juice, vitamin C, and liquid IV and I'm just gonna start chugging that twice a day every day.

57:17
Julia
Well, Drew is always going on about the. The vitamin C stuff.

57:20
Kieran
Emergency.

57:21
Julia
Yeah, he likes it. He's like, it will cure you.

57:24
Kieran
Oh, I'm gonna ask him about that in the office in a minute.

57:26
Julia
He has brought it up every single day since. For the past, like, three weeks.

57:29
Kieran
Oh, I feel like he has an opinion about it.

57:32
Julia
Yeah. Yeah. I like that guy. Anyhow, I love when I'm looking down the hallway and I can see his little head over the. Over the computer.

57:38
Kieran
I always wave.

57:41
Julia
He's so precious. But, yeah. But, yeah, you know how it goes.

57:48
Kieran
What it goes with is to make sure you're following our Instagram TWTS pod, following our individual accounts as well. DM Us if you have any questions, topics you want to hear about, people you want to be as guests. Guests, etc. Etc. Etc.

58:02
Julia
People you want to be as guests.

58:04
Kieran
People you want to be as guests. Because we're here to tell you the.

58:07
Julia
Truth, because they don't always get it right. Bye, guys.
The Lion Doesn't Stress About Exams.mp3
Meeting created at: 25th Nov, 2025 - 1:33 PM