Hitting the wall

Two days after the final exam, despite having exerted my brain countless times, there was no moment of joy when I handed in my exam paper.

This week, I want to share a small observation from my final exam preparation. It may seem like a display of study skills or willpower, but let me clarify that it's not my intention. On the contrary, as I studied like a zombie, I began to question the culture that glorifies burning the midnight oil and overworking. People may not enjoy it physically, but just like cycling across Taiwan, which is technically a physical torture, it is seen as an achievement and earns respect for those who complete it. Similarly, staying up late to finish work is often seen as hard work, admiring those who are productive in the late hours. As I always say, there's a sense of morbid superiority. However, this time, I truly hope there can be a solution to change this mindset, as it can be harmful to individuals, as some would say, leading to "involution."

    Now, that's not my main point for today. I just want to draw a comparison between physical rest during long-distance exercise and mental rest during intensive studying.

    Due to a mistake in my course selection (in other words, not considering it thoroughly initially), I had to take 10 subject exams. This meant I had to follow an intense schedule two weeks before the exams. Normally, I would take a long break (usually for lunch and dinner) after studying continuously. However, this time, as I was planning my schedule, I realized I didn't have enough time to complete what I had originally planned. So, I thought, "Maybe it will be okay to extend my study session by an hour earlier." At the same time, knowing that it's common to fall behind schedule in some subjects, I thought, "Okay, then I'll have to stay up a little later to finish those." As a result, my total study time exceeded 6 hours without breaks. That night, after pushing myself past midnight, I felt a sense of mania and was curious about the reason behind it. After experiencing similar situations for a couple of days, I discovered the cause. It was akin to hitting a wall. When you forget to replenish water or energy, you suddenly struggle with pain, despite sticking to your planned schedule. Perhaps our brains have a similar mechanism. If we solely focus on mechanical work for an extended period, we may experience a state of mania at some point.

    That was my small observation, which I can use to reformulate my future study schedule. In terms of academics, maybe Dr. Cai can help solve this puzzle. Hooray!