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Two students study in
the MU School of Law library in Hulston Hall, which opened
July 1988. The school was located in Tate Hall in the 1950s.
Photo courtesy of MU
Publications and Alumni Communication
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Cramming
for Finals
@Mizzou readers share finals
week stories …
As an undergraduate, I
found it best to study in the law school library because
it was quiet and dark. But in those days (1953-57), all the
law students were male, so when any female entered the library,
they tapped pencils or pens against the desks or metal light
standards. Thank God for progress.
— Shirley Briggle Miller,
BJ ’57
My fellow denizens of Cramer
Hall and I, who were all taking Organic Chemistry 210 (and later
212), would study for hour exams and finals by repairing to The
Shack the night before. There, over pitchers of 3.2-percent Budweiser
(the only 5-percent beer in town was at the Tiger Hotel, which
was off-limits to us under-age-21 undergrads), we would pass around
a paper with an organic reaction showing the reactants and an
arrow. We each took turns completing the reaction, showing the
products of the first reaction, adding another reagent to that
product with another arrow (signifying a second reaction), and
then passing that question on to the next person around the table.
And so it would go until we exhausted a sequence of reactions.
Then we’d start over with a new set of chemicals and repeat
the process as long as we could; that is, as long as we could
keep focused. Then we’d return to Cramer, flop into bed
for a good night’s sleep, awake the next morning and ace
the test.
— Bill Hirzy, BS ’58, PhD ’62
During my years at Mizzou, my roommates, friends
and I had a ritual during finals that we called “a finals
thing,” which meant whoever was game took a break from studying
and played a prank on someone. There was a big snow storm during
December 1987, and we awoke for an early Saturday morning final
with Christmas trees blocking our apartment door. Also, I remember
trudging through a foot of snow and having a snowball fight to
take our minds off studying. I always enjoyed finals week because
it was a fun week despite all of the studying.
— Sara Maybrier Shields,
BS Ed ’89
Ted Tarkow is professor of classical studies and associate
dean of the College of Arts and Science at MU. Rob Hill
photo
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First semester of my freshman year, I was
a member of the Honors Freshman Interest Group (FIG), and all
of us lived on the inaugural Honors Floor in Gillett. A group
of eight to 10 of us—taking ourselves very seriously—was
in one of the halls cramming for Dr. Ted Tarkow’s Classics
60 (Classical Mythology) final. As the night dragged on, and
we grew sleep-deprived and slaphappy, our process of quizzing
each other had devolved considerably. One friend of mine, who
had worked summers impersonating Samuel Clemens in Hannibal’s
re-enactments, used his Mark Twain voice and said, “Who’s
your daddy?”
to identify Zeus’ numerous offspring. We laughed hysterically
for minutes, and I’ll never forget Leta the Swan! Recalling
that phrase actually made the exam fun, and I still can’t
think of mythological stories without recalling that study
session
… and smiling!
— Raegan Buatte, BA ’00
I experienced a true “sophomore slump.”
I had finally made good friends at the beginning of my sophomore
year, and I was having so much fun that studying definitely took
a backseat to partying! By the time finals rolled around in the
spring of my sophomore year, I was in deep trouble. I wasn’t
on probation, but I had several classes that I was in danger of
failing. I had to pass Hebrew in order to meet the foreign language
requirement for my degree. I stayed up all night memorizing Hebrew
grammar and verb conjugations (none of which I can remember today).
I can’t remember actually taking the exam. All I remember
is wandering in total exhaustion through the Columns after the
exam and collapsing in complete relief in their shade. I passed,
but I vowed never to get into that situation again.
By my junior year I learned to treat school
like a job, which it was. I started going to class more consistently,
and I found a quiet corner of the library in which to study. My
grades improved, and I never had to cram for finals again!
— Lynn Klearman Nill,
BA ’74
I was a crammer. Everyone that I hung out
with was crammers. I spent many days and nights utilizing the
many fine campus buildings in which to study. One of my favorites
was Middlebush, aka center shrub. Oftentimes I would have a
classroom all to myself and would not be interrupted by anyone.
I majored in geology and spent time in study groups in the Geology
building. We would cram until about 2 a.m., take a study break
and run down to Taco Bell for an early morning snack. Then back
to the Geology building for another hour or two.
Also, back in 1983-85, the Pepsi-Cola Co.
had the soda contract for MU, but the Pepsi machine in the Geology
building was often filled with Coke because the grad students
preferred Coke, and one of them had the key to the machine. That
only lasted until the Pepsi guy came in to restock the machine
and found Coke cans in where the Pepsi should have been. About
two days later Pepsi came and took the whole machine out of the
building for good!
— Mark Dietiker, BA ’87
In the spring of 1970
the U.S. invasion of Cambodia and the violence at Kent State
triggered anti-war rallies on the MU campus that were attended
by thousands of students. Photo by Jim Domke, BJ '71
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I attended MU as an undergrad from 1963-67
and then the medical school from 1967-71 for a grand total of
eight years. I certainly had my share of finals during that time.
I never once crammed for a final, and I never pulled an all-nighter
like a lot of my friends did. When midnight came, I went to bed
and hoped and prayed that I had the right answers for the next
day. I guess I did because I have two degrees from MU. Finals
week was always very stressful, especially during this time period
because if you flunked out of school, you probably had a free
trip to Vietnam courtesy of the government. What was really bad
was that finals were held after the Christmas break, not before
the break as they are today. We went home for Christmas and studied
for finals when we got back on campus.
I loved my eight years at MU and still long
to return for reunions to look at the campus, which is wonderful.
I love the old buildings on the Quad, and my how the trees have
grown since 1963. It brings back wonderful memories. But, I sure
don’t miss final exams!
— Donald Wehmeyer, BA
’67, MD ’71
I definitely was NOT a crammer for finals.
I always pitied the poor fools who pulled all-nighters. I stayed
on top of my notes as the semester went along, and when finals
were approaching, I just looked everything over again. I always
took the attitude that I would remember what was important. For
the most part, that worked. As an English major, all of my finals
were essays, allowing me to write about what I remembered most
vividly.
— Fran Libra Koenigsdorf,
BS Ed ’77
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Last Update:
November 15, 2007
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