My Lab Partner Tried to Make an Explosion (And Almost Succeeded)

You guys, I need to vent. My chemistry lab partner (bless their heart) just mixed two random clear liquids and created a smoke cloud that nearly evacuated the building. I'm already struggling to balance equations, and now I'm worried this incident will distract me right before the big exam. I'm seriously at the point where I'd pay someone to take my chemistry test just so I don't have to deal with another week of gas laws and questionable experiments. Please tell me your best non-explosive studying techniques for memorizing the periodic table and those tricky chemical formulas!