The class doesn't end even after it is over.

You may be unaware that I have some monitoring turned on at Box.com, where the course files (PowerPoints, PDFs, and Excel Spreadsheets) are posted.  Every time somebody downloads a file from the class site, I get an email update.  I do this not for any strategic reason.  That was the default when I set up the account and I've simply left it turned on.

Today somebody downloaded the Excel Homework on the Shapiro-Stiglitz model during our final.  Now it is possible that the monitoring is in error, meaning the person downloaded it earlier and I only get the message after a substantial lag.  I am testing that now to see how long it takes after I've downloaded the file to get the email message.  (It took 5 minutes to get the email.)

My reaction to this may be other than how you'd react if you were in my shoes.  First, I don't know who it is.  Second, I doubt it impacted the performance on the exam much if at all.  But, third, and this is really the most important one, it seems to me that many of you are very stressed out during exam week.  There is supposed to be both good stress and bad stress.   Even the best actors get stage fright.  That's good stress.  But if there is too much of it then it is bad, and overwhelms you, and you act other than you typically would.  There was a comedian, Flip Wilson, who was popular when I was your age.  His tag line was - the devil made me do it.

If you get into a position where you manage others, know that monitoring can cause stress.  Part of your job will be to keep the devil at bay in the people who work for you.  I wish there was some magic formula for that, but I don't know of any.  All I can say is that sometimes it is better to forgive and forget.

On that note, I will start in on the grading.