Papyrophobia
I should be studying; either studying or sleeping. I don't want to do neither, so what do I do? Write another blog post. In light of my life's recent events, which include studying, studying, and more studying, my post will also be about studying. Papyrophobia, the fear of paper. Okay, I'm not talking about the phobia; but I am talking about fear of paper nonetheless. This blog post will examine the fear of paper and how it haunts a student's life.
In case you haven't realized this yet, by paper I mean tests. I am not one who experiences test anxiety, but I do know many who do. As for me, I don't think my brain recognizes the existence of tests. That is not a particularly good thing either. So at least we know that there are two ends to this spectrum.
Personally, I believe in both the existence of tests, and the students' liberation from them. Teachers say that students wouldn't study unless they're given a test, and maybe that is the main reason the poor students are loaded with tests and quizzes all the time. But really, would they have to spend so much time studying if they already know the material? By experience, I know that the only time I really study is when I do not know the material, either for my own preoccupied-ness during class, the subject's difficulty, or for the educator's failure in teaching. Maybe the teacher should spend a greater effort in teaching, or maybe you should pay some more attention in class? The world would become a happier place either way, I don't see why you shouldn't try.
So, has point number one reached yet? If you know your material, then there's no real "studying" involved; I wouldn't call it studying at least, more like reviewing. So if you know the material, there's no reason to stress, correct? No stress means no test anxiety, which means no fear of paper.
Now we shall examine the pros and cons of fearing paper. Pros. For one, it would make you "study" or review more, giving you a better possibility of scoring higher perhaps? It would use up a lot of time you would've otherwise wasted in being unproductive. It would also make you appear very intelligent as you would have countless conversations before and after your test regarding the material on the test. If you're new somewhere, you could also use the test subject as light conversation!
Now on to the cons of fearing paper. Eating too much food, or in some cases too little, in an attempt to feed your body while feeding your brain with information. Sudden memory loss as soon as your eyes catch sight of the dreadful paper. Headaches and nausea caused by excessive mental preparation to write on the formidable paper. Negative thinking and suicidal thoughts triggered by watching people have fun while you study. Darkness circling your eyes, the result of sleep deprivation because of excessive studying and paper anxiety. Also, the teacher's content over your sweaty and nervous appearance. You wouldn't want that would you?
To summarize the points stated above: there are no pros of fearing paper. So don't, just know your material.
No one is born with this fear of paper. Fear of paper is a trait aquired through bad childhood schooling. This fear of paper develops at some point in the student's life: when they either want or expect perfect grades, or when they begin to think that they are stupid and should become "smarter", or in their case study harder. Legitimate excuses perhaps, but excuses nonetheless. There is no reason why anyone should fear paper. No reason at all.
By now I would think that most of you are starting to feel how childish and ridiculous the phrase "fear of paper" seems. It's ridiculous to fear paper, right? The term "test anxiety" only gives people a (slightly) more sophisticated way to describe this fear of paper and make it appear like something that is actually worth the attention it is given. For example, people have been formally studying this "phenomenon" of test anxiety for over 50 years, a phenomenon that is not really as interesting as it appears to be.
You're not the only ones to blame though, teachers and educators everywhere are as well. Test and quiz every other day, its unhealthy. All they do is type up a few questions. The poor student then spends hours painstakingly studying for this test. Testing must be the most popular form of torture, which teachers use wisely, knowing that the vast majority of their classes suffer from acute fear of paper. The ultimate product of this process is endless hours going to waste every day, heck it might even be the reason of the ever increasing percentage in obesity. You never know.
In conclusion, just don't fear paper. There's no reason to fear it really; it's an inanimate object, it can't harm you. Know your material and you're good to go. Say no to papyrophobia. Life's too short to spend in constant dread of printed sheets of white paper.
DISCLAIMER: This post has nothing to do with actual papyrophobia. The terms papyrophobia and fear of paper are used figuratively for the sole means of conveying a message.
**This post was written with a humorous approach unlike other posts. Constructive feedback is strongly encouraged.
In case you haven't realized this yet, by paper I mean tests. I am not one who experiences test anxiety, but I do know many who do. As for me, I don't think my brain recognizes the existence of tests. That is not a particularly good thing either. So at least we know that there are two ends to this spectrum.
Personally, I believe in both the existence of tests, and the students' liberation from them. Teachers say that students wouldn't study unless they're given a test, and maybe that is the main reason the poor students are loaded with tests and quizzes all the time. But really, would they have to spend so much time studying if they already know the material? By experience, I know that the only time I really study is when I do not know the material, either for my own preoccupied-ness during class, the subject's difficulty, or for the educator's failure in teaching. Maybe the teacher should spend a greater effort in teaching, or maybe you should pay some more attention in class? The world would become a happier place either way, I don't see why you shouldn't try.
So, has point number one reached yet? If you know your material, then there's no real "studying" involved; I wouldn't call it studying at least, more like reviewing. So if you know the material, there's no reason to stress, correct? No stress means no test anxiety, which means no fear of paper.
Now we shall examine the pros and cons of fearing paper. Pros. For one, it would make you "study" or review more, giving you a better possibility of scoring higher perhaps? It would use up a lot of time you would've otherwise wasted in being unproductive. It would also make you appear very intelligent as you would have countless conversations before and after your test regarding the material on the test. If you're new somewhere, you could also use the test subject as light conversation!
Now on to the cons of fearing paper. Eating too much food, or in some cases too little, in an attempt to feed your body while feeding your brain with information. Sudden memory loss as soon as your eyes catch sight of the dreadful paper. Headaches and nausea caused by excessive mental preparation to write on the formidable paper. Negative thinking and suicidal thoughts triggered by watching people have fun while you study. Darkness circling your eyes, the result of sleep deprivation because of excessive studying and paper anxiety. Also, the teacher's content over your sweaty and nervous appearance. You wouldn't want that would you?
To summarize the points stated above: there are no pros of fearing paper. So don't, just know your material.
No one is born with this fear of paper. Fear of paper is a trait aquired through bad childhood schooling. This fear of paper develops at some point in the student's life: when they either want or expect perfect grades, or when they begin to think that they are stupid and should become "smarter", or in their case study harder. Legitimate excuses perhaps, but excuses nonetheless. There is no reason why anyone should fear paper. No reason at all.
By now I would think that most of you are starting to feel how childish and ridiculous the phrase "fear of paper" seems. It's ridiculous to fear paper, right? The term "test anxiety" only gives people a (slightly) more sophisticated way to describe this fear of paper and make it appear like something that is actually worth the attention it is given. For example, people have been formally studying this "phenomenon" of test anxiety for over 50 years, a phenomenon that is not really as interesting as it appears to be.
You're not the only ones to blame though, teachers and educators everywhere are as well. Test and quiz every other day, its unhealthy. All they do is type up a few questions. The poor student then spends hours painstakingly studying for this test. Testing must be the most popular form of torture, which teachers use wisely, knowing that the vast majority of their classes suffer from acute fear of paper. The ultimate product of this process is endless hours going to waste every day, heck it might even be the reason of the ever increasing percentage in obesity. You never know.
In conclusion, just don't fear paper. There's no reason to fear it really; it's an inanimate object, it can't harm you. Know your material and you're good to go. Say no to papyrophobia. Life's too short to spend in constant dread of printed sheets of white paper.
DISCLAIMER: This post has nothing to do with actual papyrophobia. The terms papyrophobia and fear of paper are used figuratively for the sole means of conveying a message.
**This post was written with a humorous approach unlike other posts. Constructive feedback is strongly encouraged.
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