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Scratch and Sniff Exam Papers

Unlock your revision.
  (+2)
(+2)
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I've been moving house. Yesterday I got a box out of storage which I hadn't opened for 3 years. Inside, I found a bottle of aftershave which I used to wear.

When I smelt it, I found myself immediately awash with memories from the last time I wore that scent, and smelt that smell. Memories in incredible detail.

Clearly smells unlock detailed memories for me. Students could benefit from this phenomenon by using scratch and sniff exam papers. For example, geography exam papers might smell like chocolate. Eat chocolate whilst revising geography, and your memories would come flooding back on exam day.

Exam boards could make fortunes selling scented "revision candles" as a spin off.

Fishrat, Oct 09 2003

Déjà Smelled http://www.halfbake.../D_e9j_e0_20Smelled
related [FarmerJohn, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

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       whats that purple stuff they use for preserving tissue in chemistry/biology? I tipped a bottle of that over my school uniform and smelt quite awfuk for a week. that might bring back a few equations :)
po, Oct 09 2003
  

       Formaldehyde?
bristolz, Oct 09 2003
  

       I thought everyone knew: If it smells, it's chemistry.
lubbit, Oct 09 2003
  

       [po] You wear a school uniform?
hippo, Oct 09 2003
  

       of course, doesn't everyone?
po, Oct 09 2003
  

       only in the privacy of my own home
hippo, Oct 09 2003
  

       now theres a theme for a halfcon <grin>
po, Oct 09 2003
  

       (scratches Calculus Final exam, sniffs)... "smells like an 'F' ".
Cedar Park, Oct 09 2003
  

       [po] Well done for struggling on for a week before washing the smell out of your school uniform. The idea of related smells is great. Maybe ripe garlic sausage would bring back those irregular french verbs?
Fishrat, Oct 09 2003
  

       it might have been a fortnight, its a St Trinians thing :)
po, Oct 09 2003
  

       It diminishes the chances of you melting your pea shooter in a hot wash anyway.
Fishrat, Oct 09 2003
  

       The idea is wonderful (+), but could you really associate all the necessary smells? And what would happen if you used the same smell in two different years?
PauloSargaco, Oct 09 2003
  

       As I recall, college smelled like coffee and pencil lead. I would still be confused on my exams if this particular smellervation was in effect. Besides what if the exam odor was strongly tied to a traumatic period of my early life?
k_sra, Oct 09 2003
  

       Just make sure you don't sniff on Madeleine cookies, or you'll be late with your exams paper!
Brummo, Oct 09 2003
  

       And if you have nasal problems, this might not be so great. :P
Detly, Oct 09 2003
  

       Just for you [detly] I'll add a scratch and lick exam paper. Marks deducted if you hand in your answers soggy, though.
Fishrat, Oct 10 2003
  

       There have been some exams that I have seriously considered eating.
Detly, Oct 12 2003
  

       My last French exam chewed me up and spat me out.
Fishrat, Oct 13 2003
  

       This summer I ended up invigilating final degree exams in the very room (actually an organic chemistry teaching lab) where I took my own finals *** years ago. I wasn't prepared for how the smell of the room (some kind of combination of organic solvents, camphor and burning - the standard org chem lab smell) would take me back to that nervous, slightly sick feeling before an exam.   

       I dealt with this by walking around the room, looking over the shoulders of the students and muttering things like "surely not" and "riiiiiiiiiiiiiight" under my breath.
hazel, Oct 13 2003
  
      
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