An OPTIONAL two-hour, 200 pt. final exam can be taken by any student desiring to pull up the exam component of his/her final grade.  Normally, s/he will take the exam in the English Department office during a two-hour block of time of his/her choosing on either Friday, December, 5 or Monday, December 8.  

The "final" will resemble the midterm, and in some sections will BE a second midterm (i.e. will not be cumulative, but will only test you ONLY on material covered since the Midterm Exam, i.e. Chaucer readings and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight).  The sections which are NOT cumulative are:  passage ID, item ID and Chronology.  The other sections will be CUMULATIVE, i.e. will cover the works read in the whole quarter.  These sections include:  the essay, the factual/background questions, and a section covering the authors, genres, languages and forms (but NOT the dates) for every reading on the class syllabus.

For your convenience, I append below relevant study guide information adapted from the guide that was provided for the Midterm Exam.

Factual questions will cover background information which you may find summarized on study guides linked to the class calendar, in the introductions to your primary readings, in required secondary readings, or in your class notes.  Be sure to review online readings on "courtly love," translatio, and the Tristan tradition.  The format in this section will be some combination of multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, T/F or (very) short answer. COVERS ALL WORKS READ THIS QUARTER in similar depth to that found on midterm exam.

The chronology section will require you to provide dates for titles/authors read since the midterm and/or for key historical events. Use the dates found in the Norton Anthology (which may be included on study guides linked to the class calendar).

Item Identifications will test your knowledge of characters, objects, events and motifs from the assigned readings SINCE THE MIDTERM; you will identify a certain number of items AND list ALL primary reading(s) in which item appears or occurs, with enough relevant detail to distinguish between the different readings.  For instance, on the midterm exam, to get full credit on an I.D. of "Cupid" (which I would be unlikely to put on this section of the exam!), you would have needed to say who/what Cupid is (for 1 point) AND (briefly) state what played by Cupid in ALL readings in which he appears (for an additional point). If the item plays a significantly different role in more than one reading, you must distinguish between the role(s) played in each case (e.g. Lavinia in the Aeneid vs. Lavinia in the Romance of Eneas).  Finally, be sure that an I.D. is specific enough that it applies ONLY to the specific reading you have in mind (thus, "the hero of the Lai who loves a lady from whom he is separated" is too vague -- it could apply to the heroes of several different lais of Marie de France; similarly, if you were to identify a specific character or episode from one of the Tristan readings or one of the two Romances of the Rose, you would need to specify which author/text it occurs in).  There will be choice in this section, but you will need to demonstrate some familiarity all the readings covered since the midterm exam.

A significant number of points (possibly as many as 50% of the exam, or 100 pts.) will be for the Essay.  You will be given a choice of topics requiring that you discuss connections, similarities and (significant) differences between at least two readings/authors, including at least one text read since the midterm exam.  Essay should not be a personal reaction; it should aim to make sense of the works you discuss on their own terms, and should be based upon specific references to specific details from or passages in the works in question.  Prompts will focus on issues which should be familiar to you if you have attended class regularly -- no nasty surprises.  Exam prompts are designed not to trip you up but (I hope) to allow you to shine; there will be enough choices that you should be able to find a topic on which you can write a substantive essay.  Please note, however, that you may NOT write on the same author/work which is the focus of your class presentation or of your term paper. (There will be a substantial penalty if you do!) PLEASE BRING A LARGE-FORMAT EXAM BOOK FOR THE ESSAY SECTION.

TO PREPARE FOR OBJECTIVE PORTION OF THE EXAM: make a note card for each work read in the whole quarter; note author, genre, language and form; additionally, list dates of works (or of author's presumed period of literary activity) for works read since the midterm exam. Much of this background information (including the dates, which are derived from the headnotes in the Norton Anthology) is summarized in the Forum descriptions on the class Research Archive Blackboard discussion board (which you can access from My Calpoly) and/or in the study guides linked to the course calendar.  Additionally, list key character names, episodes and significant objects/motifs in works read since the midterm exam. Review required background readings and make sure you are clear on the overall premise of each.   Carefully review all readings (and catch up on any you may have missed!), including review of class discussion notes in each case.  As you review, note characters / motifs which play significant roles in more than one work.  

TIP 1) Get enough sleep the night before, and don't skip breakfast!

TIP 2) The best way to prepare is to study with friends!!

Contents of this and linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 2003

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