Today, my practice exams took an unexpected turn due to an unfamiliar culprit: overconfidence. Despite my consistent study and preparation, an unintended consequence arose. As our brains naturally tend to condense complex concepts into sentences or phrases for easier recall, this technique started causing problems.
To aid memory retention, I found myself relying heavily on recognizing specific keywords and phrases during the practice exams. However, this approach backfired. Some of my errors stemmed from my habit of swiftly scanning through the questions, searching for these keywords, instead of meticulously reading and comprehending each question.
Today's experience served as a valuable lesson. It reminded me that no matter how well-versed I believe I am in the material, shortcuts in question comprehension should never be taken lightly.

Today, my practice exams took an unexpected turn due to an unfamiliar culprit: overconfidence. Despite my consistent study and preparation, an unintended consequence arose. As our brains naturally tend to condense complex concepts into sentences or phrases for easier recall, this technique started causing problems.

To aid memory retention, I found myself relying heavily on recognizing specific keywords and phrases during the practice exams. However, this approach backfired. Some of my errors stemmed from my habit of swiftly scanning through the questions, searching for these keywords, instead of meticulously reading and comprehending each question.

Today's experience served as a valuable lesson. It reminded me that no matter how well-versed I believe I am in the material, shortcuts in question comprehension should never be taken lightly.

A Lament for Overconfidence: The Importance of Question Understanding