Dear Doily: I Can't Stop Playing Clash During Lecture
Dear Doily,
I used to be such a good student. I don’t even know how this happened.
It all started this semester when I walked into my first 1:30 Foundations of Biology. All of my friends who had taken it before told me about how difficult the class was so I walked in prepared to lock in and focus on taking notes.
Then I opened Clash Royale.
I thought it was harmless. Just one game, right? The professor said we were just going to do a “quick review” of some stuff that should have been covered in high school. Then something inexplicable happened.
The lecture was helping.
Not helping my understanding of any of the subjects, but rather, I started winning every game. I was reaching some sort of flow state. I just kept winning and then going right into the next game.
Before I knew it class was dismissed. I don’t even remember standing up, packing my bag or leaving the building. Just the victory chests.
I think the professor’s voice was hitting the perfect blend of monotone and interesting, where it wasn’t enough to distract me from collecting crowns but not boring enough to put me to sleep. Every once and a while she would say “you can expect to see this on the exam” and it was the perfect little adrenaline spike to finish those close matches.
Doily, I’m really confused on what to do here. I should have dropped this class after failing the first three exams, but I couldn’t lose out on my Clash environment. It was perfectly optimized for mid-ladder progression. I even showing up early so I could get a few warm-up matches before she began speaking.
I know finals are coming. I know it is bad. But I just unlocked Mega Knight and I feel like if I spend just a bit more time on this grindy Mega Knight deck I could have real success.
Is my fate sealed on this final? Or do I have enough time to recover? My grade is sitting at around 38%. ICON tells me I “still have a path,” but I feel like this is propaganda by firecracker users.
Sincerely,
Arena 11 Warrior
Dear Arena 11 Warrior,
We are going to be honest with you, it sounds like you are going to need to retake this biology class or switch majors. A 38% isn’t necessarily a “failure,” but rather an indicator that your build isn’t compatible with the current academic meta, we at The Doily doesn’t know the course specifics but based off of historical data, recovery likely requires significant restructuring of your playstyle, which may not be efficient enough this late in the semester.
Given this constraint, we solemnly recommend a strategic pivot.
If you are already stabilized in Arena 11, we think the best option is to fully commit to perfecting your deck, rather than attempting such a late-season academic ladder push, with your under-leveled deck. The Doily would like to recommend using a 2.6 hog archetype of deck. It is relatively easy to pilot and has a very strong win-rate.
Remember Foundations of Biology is a recurring seasonal event. It will return. Your current Clash window, however, is time-sensitive.
In short: you are not “behind” academically, you just invested in the wrong ladder for this patch cycle.
Yours Truly,
The Doily Allergen