Exams - Judgement Day no. 1

This was more difficult than boat racing. But strangely similar. Butterflies in the stomach, nervous beyond belief, cyclical feelings of panic and disbelief, followed by fatigue. That was yesterday. Then i went - after a day of reading over notes trying desperately to memorize the references i need - to exercise class, got home and ironed (yes, IRONED) my gown. I woke up this morning, and was more nervous that i would forget something like my student card or my bowtie - they're very strict with the dress requirements - than i was about the exam. It was normal England-style chaos at Exam Schools. I looked over my notes one last time, pinned a white carnation (signifying our first day of exams) on classmates, donned my gown, and walked in. The desks are in rows, simple little tables. We're sitting in a room right next to the courtyard (pics tomorrow) and i was next to the window. Alphabetical order. There's only one gigantic portrait on the wall. I'm not sure who it is, but he's wearing a long red cloak. As we took our seats, and everyone wished each other well i realized part of the point of wearing sub fusc (fancy dress). Its part of the ritual to signal to yourself, to the world what you've set out to do, and this is a significant piece in accomplishing that. When you wear your sub fusc out in town, people notice - they smile, give you a nod of encouragement, give you free beer (right? at the Turf? Friday night, here we come!). It signals to the world that something is happening today.
The exam itself. Nine questions. Nothing out of the blue. Here are the questions i answered (an hour for each, annotated with references):

1/ What are the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls? Why are they such a problem for conservation science?
3/ How environmentally fragile are oceanic islands? Should they be a priority for conservation? (Note: this question was not on any of the study guides, but is my FAVORITE! Thanks, Rob!!!)
7/ Discuss the challenges of nature conservation in a changing world.

I can post all the questions presented in the exams this weekend.
I was pretty happy with the way it went. The islands question was a windfall, since much of the material i had prepared had to do with island ecosystems. I was way more nervous than i needed to be. Three hours went by in a flash - there was never a moment where i felt like time was dragging. My arm and shoulders got tired from writing. Like Torpids, the nervousness is a lot less now that i know what to expect, what the room looks like, and i can envision myself in there writing my answers out. And, like Torpids, this will be a significant challenge every day.

One down, two to go! Lets get out there and rock the exam schools, folks! Dreaming of friday afternoon...