There's Something About Malthus

I had my first midterm today: economic history.
Is it hard? Not compared to O-Chem or Physics.
Is it fun? Not compared to Arabic.
Is it scary? Not compared to Genetics.
What is it about economic history that gets me all worried but excited at the same time? I'm really enjoying A Farewell To Alms by Prof. Clarke. I find it slightly more interesting than La Nueva California (one of my favorites). It incorporates story telling with data - sort of the way Collier did with The Bottom Billion.
I like economic history, Parman, and Clarke & his book - I really do - but

Midterm + Economics = Anxiety

I need to focus and figure out a way of thinking about tests as an opportunity to show what I know, not how inadequate I am in a subject - especially Econ.
Up until this summer, I thought the only difference between "capita" and "capital" was the missing "l" :-)
Yes, it sounds terrible, but that "Ah hah!" moment, when I realized they were completely different concepts, led me to the conclusion that the way I approached econ. set me up for failure.
I guess what I need is an academic paradigm shift... yah... a shift that will allow me to enjoy the text, learn, and take tests.