Massimo Pigliucci

I think Marcus would have been very happy about it, very proud.

Yeah, that's exactly right.

I mean, the reasoning there is exactly correct, right?

Once the test is done, it's over.

There's nothing you can do to change it.

The only thing you can do is to learn from your mistakes eventually, if you actually did make mistakes, and then get ready for the next test, right?

So to subject yourself to this after-the-fact postmortem analysis where you're going to have all sorts of doubts.

which may not be justified.

Yes, your answers may be different from those of your friends, but that doesn't mean you got the wrong answers.

They may be the ones that were wrong, right?

There is no way to know until you get the results of the test.

So my advice would be to do exactly that.

After the test, say, guys, I need a break.

I'm walking back to my room.

I'm reading a book.

I'm listening to music.

Whatever it is that relaxes you and makes you feel better.

And then wait for the test and see what actually happened.

Now, when the graded exams came back a week later, something surprising and kind of funny happened.

I'd gotten a 94 out of 100, one of the top grades in the class, an A.