[originaltext]M: I’m glad that’s over.W: I know what you mean. History’s not l

M: I’m glad that’s over.
W: I know what you mean. History’s not like math—you always feel like you could have said a little bit more to answer the question.
M: So, how do you think what you did?
W: Pretty well. I was running out of things to say towards the end, when I was writing about the causes of the Great Depression.
M: Wait a minute. That was only the second question. You mean you didn’t even do Questions Three and Four.
W: Of course I did them. I just didn’t do them in that order. With essay tests, I always read through the whole test before I begin. Then I answer the question I feel most confident about first. I knew the stuff for Question Three.
M: You mean the question on “presidential power”?
W: Right. I had prepared for that exact question, so I did it first.
M: Yeah, but why not save time for the hard stuff?
W: I look at it this way: if I can’t do everything, I’ll do what I know best. Plus, while I’m writing the easy questions, I often bring some things that help me with the hard ones to my mind.
M: You know, I did recall something in the middle of Question Four that I should have included in my first essay. But there wasn’t time to go back. I really wish I could redo that answer.
W: I’m sure you did fine anyhow. What are you going to do now?
M: I’m going to drop my books off at my room and then head for the pool. I need some exercise to help me unwind.