Final exams week...

Taking a little time to blog while my students wrestle with their final exam. Most of them have that final-exams-sleep-deprivation-look. But they are charging hard into this test, hovering over their papers and writing away. We are one hour into the test and there are no signs of anyone finishing early. I predict another 45 minutes before some of them finish and begin to hand over the papers, but some of them will more likely take the entire two hours. I observe while they struggle to compose a major essay that accounts for 30% of their test grade. Some of them are excellent writers and great critical thinkers, while some struggle to articulate their thoughts and to dig deep. This has been a great class overall and I am proud of all of them, but one young woman in particular holds my admiration. Having completed three years of her dual degree here at Xavier, she is now moving on to finish her last two years of her engineering degree in physics and mathematics at LSU. It is not so much her academic success I admire but her love for what she is pursuing and her passion for life. We chatted many times right after class, as she often waited around while I gathered my things. I heard all about her future plans, her apartment shopping experience with her mother in Baton Rouge, and even about the latest pair of jeans she bought on sale. What a darling; I wish her the best!