Why Does My Brain Question Me After Exams?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of experiencing mental blocks or lapses in memory during and after exams. Participants share personal anecdotes and explore potential psychological reasons behind these experiences, including anxiety and cognitive processes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration over their brains seemingly failing them during exams, questioning if others experience similar feelings.
  • One participant suggests that anxiety can create mental "noise" that impairs memory retrieval and reasoning abilities, referencing external resources on test anxiety.
  • Another participant humorously proposes a theory about the dominance of brain hemispheres, suggesting that jealousy between them could lead to cognitive issues.
  • Several participants share personal anecdotes about feeling confident after exams only to later realize they forgot important concepts or details.
  • One participant emphasizes the importance of focusing on one task at a time to mitigate these mental lapses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that experiencing mental blocks during exams is common, but there are multiple competing views on the underlying causes, including anxiety and cognitive dynamics. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact reasons for these experiences.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, and there are references to external resources that may not be universally accepted or applicable.

Dembadon
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ScreenShot2011-12-16at51138PM.png


:mad: :mad: :mad:

Does this happen to anyone else?
 
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Dembadon said:
:mad: :mad: :mad:

Does this happen to anyone else?
Think of it as prep for the rest of your life.

Your boss asks you how to solve some trivial problem and you just go all dumb? :mad: :mad: :mad:

The most incredibly attractive, most intelligent member of the opposite sex makes a blatant proposal that just goes zing! right over your head? :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
I don't get it. Why does that make your brain into \frac{da}{dt}?? :confused:

Please do not send me hate mail about how lame my jokes are.
 
micromass said:
Please do not send me hate mail about how lame my jokes are.

:smile:
 
Dembadon said:
ScreenShot2011-12-16at51138PM.png


:mad: :mad: :mad:

Does this happen to anyone else?
Dem,

Yep, in college a number of times, textbook recommendations are here and reasons you may blank out are http://www.heartmath.com/personal-use/overcoming-test-anxiety.html.
These negative emotions can lead test takers to feel overwhelmed. When that happens, anxiety creates a kind of "noise" or mental static in the brain that blocks our ability to retrieve what's stored in memory, and it also greatly impairs our ability to comprehend and reason.
Are you buying this ?

Rhody...
 
It's because you have two brains, and in right handed people the left "brain" (hemisphere) is dominant. This makes the right "brain" jealous and rebellious and it's constantly plotting against what the left brain is trying to do.
Don't take this too seriously, but:

http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleid=115958
 
Last edited by a moderator:
micromass said:
I don't get it. Why does that make your brain into \frac{da}{dt}?? :confused:

Please do not send me hate mail about how lame my jokes are.


I love your humor and jokes! Sometimes I'm not smart enough to understand them right away. :smile:
 
That's a fine looking brain.
 
Brains. Can't live without them. Can't live with them.

(If I had a nickel for every time a student asked me a question in class and I couldn't come up with an answer until ten minutes after class...)
 
  • #10
Dembadon said:
Does this happen to anyone else?

Lots of people... probably most people at one time or another.

For me the trick is to stay 100% focused on one thing at a time.
 
  • #11
I walked out of my Statics final a few days ago with LOTS of time to spare. I finished in 1 hour out of 3, looked over everything for a 20 min, then left.Me- "Man, I feel great about that final. I'm glad I got out early too."

Brain- "What about the friction on the bottom of that wedge?"

Me- "D'oh. Why didn't you say something?"

Brain- "Me? Oh, I'm too shy to say anything in class."
 

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