Testing Tips: Advice from an Autistic Grad Student
I was a sophomore in high school when I got my first failing grade on a test. It was for Spanish two, and my comprehension of the subject was slightly above that of my peers, but we had been given a page-long story (with at least four different conjugations) to translate in 90 minutes. In a classroom full of stressed students, all either shuffling pages, sniffling, or similarly having a hard time, I spent a good amount of that test on the verge of tears. My 62% was slightly above the class average, with one of my friends getting the highest grade at 82%, but it ended up being struck from the gradebook because we’d all failed so spectacularly, and the test didn’t accurately reflect our knowledge of course concepts, given that most people weren’t able to finish in the given time. That being said, testing can be really stressful, especially when it goes differently than what you’d expect. This is doubly true for me as an autistic person and compulsive overachiever, so I’ve picked up a cou...