A session is stressful. But without humor, students would go crazy. Jokes about exams, memes about professors, anecdotes about cheat sheets are a defensive reaction. Laughter reduces cortisol levels, helps cope with failure. We talk about student folklore during sessions.

Jokes and memes about studying

"Student: 'Have you ever taken an exam with your eyes closed?'" Professor: 'No.' Student: 'Then I'll be the first one to do so — I'm going to fall asleep now.'" "The best way to prepare for an exam is a phone with internet and a group of classmates." "An exam is a dialogue between two intelligent people: one intelligent, the other a student." Memes: "When there are 3 questions on the test, you've studied 2, and pulled the third one" — photo of a person with glassy eyes. "Studying for an exam all night" — a horse plowing on a graveyard.

"Professor: 'Have you even opened the textbook?'" Student: 'I've sniffed it'."

Jokes about cheat sheets

"A cheat sheet is a piece of paper that increases a student's heartbeat to 140." "A student goes to an exam with 50 cheat sheets. Takes the exam, doesn't use any of them. Says: 'The main thing is that it's there'." "The perfect cheat sheet is one you made yourself and remembered the material while rewriting it." "Professor: 'I can see everything!'" Student: 'I can't see anything without glasses!'"

"You can hide a cheat sheet in a sleeve, a sock, a phone. But the best place is in your head."

Professional omens

"You need to sleep on the textbook before an exam — knowledge will flow into your head." "You can't get a haircut, wash your hair, change your socks — you'll scare off luck." "A coin under the heel brings good luck." "Don't stick your head out the window, or you'll call nerds." "Show your check only on the exam, not earlier — otherwise the devil will take it." Students believe that if it rains on an exam, you're guaranteed a pass. And if it snows, then you'll have to retake it.

Whether to believe or not is a question. But the tradition lives on.

How humor helps survive

It reduces anxiety. Laughter at a problem makes it not seem so scary. It creates a sense of unity: "we're all in the same boat." It's easier to ask for help after a shared joke. It helps accept failure: "failed an exam — but now I have material for a joke." It produces dopamine — the hormone of happiness, which improves memory.

Tip: read memes about sessions before the exam. Smile and relax.

A session is not the end of the world. Students know this. That's why they laugh. Through fear, tears, and lack of sleep. Humor is their armor. If you're a student, don't lose your sense of humor. If you're a professor, don't take jokes personally. Laugh together. And the exam will seem easier.

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