'Tis the season for proving to your instructor that you've paid attention this semester and maybe learned something, so we composed a "twelve final exam gifts" into a holiday song for your amusement. Enjoy!

On the first day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
A Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the second day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the third day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the fourth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the fifth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the sixth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the seventh day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the eighth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Eight packages of Ramen Steaming
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the ninth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Nine Pizza Coupons Expired
Eight packages of Ramen Steaming
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the tenth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Ten Grade Points well Needed
Nine Pizza Coupons Expired
Eight packages of Ramen Steaming
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the eleventh day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
Eleven Donuts Dunking
Ten Grade Points well Needed
Nine Pizza Coupons Expired
Eight packages of Ramen Steaming
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

On the twelfth day of Finals
My Instructor Gave to Me:
12 TA's Tutoring
Eleven Donuts Dunking
Ten Grade Points well Needed
Nine Pizza Coupons Expired
Eight packages of Ramen Steaming
Seven Red Bulls Already Opened
Six Open Book Questions a Laying
Five Blue Books
Four Starbuck's Lattés Frothing
Three Scantron Sheets
Two #2 Pencils
and a Lowest Test Grade Dropped

Thanksgiving is over... Every year I swear I won't overindulge, and every year I end up over-turkeyed, over-pied, and sprawled out on the couch. This year was no different in that regard. Finals are almost here too, and that's more pressure than I care for -- just like last year.

What is different, though, is a new look for College-Cram. Acting on your many suggestions, we've reorganized the subject pages to reflect the Learn, Practice, and Review approach and made it easier to find relevant articles. We also gave the overall layout a fresher look. I hope you enjoy it!

'Tis the season for proving to your instructor that you've paid attention this semester and maybe learned something, so we composed a "twelve final exam gifts" into a holiday song for your amusement. Enjoy!

It would be outstanding if you could mix a few chemicals and make a potion that would get you better grades. Unfortunately, those of us not named Harry Potter can't rely on magic -- we need to work at it.

Fortunately, there are some best practices that will help you do better next semester. Make these seven keys your New Year's resolution and you'll have a better report card come springtime.

This semester we transformed College-Cram.com into the free study resource that students have been clamoring for. In order to help keep it a free and growing resource, we ask that you take a minute to fill out this survey to help us keep helping you. Thanks!

Dear Professor Cram:

When annual sales, variable cost, contribution margin, fixed costs, and operating income are all known, how can the number of units be determined?

Elias, Baker College

Thanks for your question, Elias.

The categories you mention are actually more information than is required, but that is not unusual in word problem assignments. I am going to show how to do it using my own example, since you didn't give me a specific problem to solve. Here is my example - let's say:

Dear Professor Cram:

An escalator is 152 feet in length rises to a platform and makes a 30 degree angle with ground. Find the height of the platform using a trigonometry equation.

Ekta, Middlesex Community College

The problem you describe is a classic sine function equation. Imagine the platform at the top of a right triangle...