This assignment was a take home exam which was completed and returned in one week. In completing this assignment, I drew from the experience of completing exam one. Having not been fully satisfied with my grade on that exam, I knew I needed to be better prepared for exam two even with it being a take home exam. In contrast to exam one, I became more familiar with the material before receiving exam two in order to be better able to locate concepts and ideas within my notes while answering the questions. In my responses, I was also more thorough, taking time to fully elucidate my thinking to avoid any miscommunication with regards to my answers. In addition to being better prepared for exam two, I was also diligent to examine various sources of information while composing my responses rather than just my class notes as I had done for exam one. Doing this allowed for more complete, well thought out answers. I also allowed myself more time to complete the exam than I had previously, which afforded me the chance to respond to the exam one day, mull over my answers, and return to the exam later and make any necessary changes. Accordingly, I completed the exam and turned it in feeling confident not only in my approach but also in my responses, a truly different feeling than I had when completing the first exam. As a result, I received 48.5 out of a possible 50 points with the points being taken off of the one question on which I was not expecting to receive full credit as I was unable to find the answer despite searching various notes and books. Although this was frustrating, I learned that I must exhaust all resources available to me and if I am still unable to find the answer, I can then turn to the professor for guidance, a step I did not take in this particular exam. Instead, I chose to turn in the exam knowing I would not receive full credit for the question regarding enzymes because I felt confident in my answers for the rest of the exam. This is not typical of me as I tend to be a perfectionist in my work; however, I believe that at this point in the semester I was tired and decided though I would give it my best, perfection was not mandatory.
This exam meets the learning outcome by posing in depth questions related to macro and micro nutrient intake and their impact on human health, specifically through questions on fatty acid structure, enzymes, mechanisms, and polymorphisms. Questions are presented in such a way that I was able to examine current research, reflect back on learning from class, and then provide practical application for the use of the knowledge gained. Often, the information load can be overwhelming and as a result, I might only focus on surface level knowledge. This exam, and the class itself, taught me how to use that surface level knowledge to examine ideas and concepts in more detail through research and application. Asking questions in such a way forced me to not only identify the correct answer in a book but also to expound upon that answer using my own critical thinking skills. The experience was immeasurable. As a future professional, I will be challenged each and every day to use critical thinking skills in my interactions with patients and clients. Completing this type of exam, one that requires taking baseline knowledge and translating it into practical application, has prepared me to do the same in a work setting filled with ever changing patients and clients.