by Karen Favorito

Who would have known that one of the most reputable academic institutions in the country has its share of legends, myths and ghost stories? Legend has it that somewhere amidst the trees surrounding the University of Texas at Austin lives an albino squirrel that, if a student sees on his or her way to a test, he or she will get an A on the exam.

Don’t get me wrong, I do my best to study hard and work smart for my exams, but with three rigorous graduate accounting classes under my belt, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to use some luck. This week, I had an exam for ACC 384.1 Tax Research, which I thought was the perfect time to look for the “powerful” squirrel.

This was how my search went:

• Monday – I interviewed people who have seen the albino squirrel already. They told me it can be seen on the East Mall, which is the area where Welch Hall, the Economics Department and Geological Sciences buildings are located. Based on their stories, after seeing the albino squirrel on their way to class, they did not only end up acing the test, but the class as well. This just gave me more motivation to look for the squirrel. I strolled around the East Mall looking for potential spots that the albino squirrel might be hiding. After thirty minutes of surveillance, I gave up on the task. I knew I had to come up with a better strategy to find the squirrel the next day.

• Tuesday – The search continued. This time, I brought my camera with me so I could take a picture of the squirrel. I started looking from the portion of the East Mall closest to Welch then went further East until I hit the Winship Drama Building. I had more patience this time and decided to stick around in the area while reading my Tax Research notes. After 45 minutes of agitation, I decided to call it a day. However, I was still very optimistic that I would eventually find the albino squirrel.
• Wednesday  (EXAM DAY) – I strolled around the East Mall thrice in hopes of finding the squirrel before my test at 7 p.m. I guess it really wasn’t my day, because I had no luck in finding it. I took the Tax Research test relying on the time and effort I spent in reviewing my notes. It was a two-hour exam, and I was fortunate that I was able to get through every question. Nevertheless, I thought I would have done better on it if I had allotted more time to study and to clarify concepts that I was not very confident with before the exam.

Even though I have yet to find the albino squirrel, I gained some takeaways from my three-day pursuit. I realized that if I had spent the time that I looked for the squirrel studying for my exam, instead, I would have probably been more confident about my performance on the test. Second, I comprehended that if I had used my strategizing ability in developing more effective study habits and not on finding the squirrel, studying for my exam would have been less stressful.  Third,  I realized that UT does not only boast the most prestigious academic programs in the country, but also a stunning and nature-friendly campus  that motivates students during their daily walks to classes.

Everyone has an albino squirrel. It’s the motivation that you have inside you to learn and apply the concepts you learn in class in your future careers or in the real world, in general. This drive is what makes every individual successful.

How about you? Do you believe in the power of the albino squirrel?