Q: Every class that I have taken in college, I'm usually one of the last few to finish. I don't know why, but I am. Is this normal? I'm in my senior year in college, about to graduate in december. Sometimes I think I'm abnormal for being one of the last ones to finish an exam.
A: Everyone works at a different pace; there is nothing abnormal about that. If you work more slowly, you are more likely to give a proper amount of thought to every question, and to recheck your work if it is a math or science exam. Many students, by being too anxious to get it over with, make mistakes and do not do as well as those who do not rush through exams. Also, if you have studied well, you possess more knowledge than those who have crammed, and it may take you longer to get it down on paper. In any case, you deserve praise for being willing and able to take your time.