Teary time

The past week had been really tense and shall remain so till the end of this week.

The normally crowded kitchen is mostly empty now. Wtih 50% of the occupants having exams and the other half struggling to complete their assignments before the holiday break, laughters have also become scarce. Every faces I see reflected fatigue, disappointment, pressure and some with tears. (Every morning, I can hear my neighbour, talking to her parents over the phone, while suppressing her tears and anger)

Today, I had completed a test for two courses (it's a 2-in-1 module in which we study two courses simultaneously and take a combined exam). Two hours were spent on flipping through pages of questions, attempting to locate familiarity. Sometimes with success but most of the time in frustration. Two weeks of preparation and this is the outcome. What better way to break a student's spirit than this?

With the completion of this first test of the term, questions begin to sprout. Should we have tests at the end of the term (while still being obligated to attend lectures and seminars) or should we have all the tests at the beginning of next term when everyone is assumed to be more prepared having studied during the holiday? Should the courses be 100% exam-based or should there be assignments (in which students became selfish and started outdoing members of their team, straining relationships)? At a more personal level, am I here to memorise pages and pages of formulas or am I here to learn how to apply the theories?