Optional exams: it’s a love/hate relationship really.

So, I went to my professor’s office hours today because she basically refused to send us our final report and exam grades from last week. One of the first things she said was that she was kind of disappointed in me and she thought that I understood this stuff. (She was talking about the exam grade). See, we have an open book part of the exam and a closed book part. I did great on the closed book part but I did horrible on the open book calculations part. Then she says that I am a terrific writer and that I can go far with that skill. And she says how useful it is to be able to write lab reports in the future. Basically I had no idea what to think at this point. I had gotten a 55 average on that disappointing exam and a 100% on that great research report. So where would that place me for grades? Well, higher than I had originally thought. She offers an optional final exam. It will take the place of our lowest exam and it is cumulative. I would need to get a 70% on it to raise my grade. If I get lower I am stuck with the lower grade. This scares me. My exam average in that class isn’t too high. I do not want to take the final. I won’t have any time to study for it. Do I risk it? I don’t think I will. I have till 5pm tomorrow to decide. In the back of my mind I wish I would have studied a little bit more for the exams in this class…at least as much time I put into all those stupid lab reports I did so well on. Maybe I do have a talent after all. Who would have though it would be writing boring scientific papers? I guess all of us can’t be well-rounded, ehh?