This is test week. I'm stealing an idea from a colleague, and giving two forty minute exams on Wednesday and Friday, instead of a fifty minute exam on Friday. That way I just go ahead and burn the whole week without the sad excuse for a lecture on Monday, followed by the panicky droves of students on Wednesday. No, I'm dragging it out for them, then doing marathon grading on the weekend.
What is frustrating is the number of students who fish for what will end up being on the exam. So at this point when I receive questions through e-mail like, "Is this important to know?" then I just send one response, "Yes. That is very important for the first exam." Let me give you a sample:
"The lecture 1 notes include material about the syllabus like office hours and class time. Is this important to exam 1?" Yes. That is very important for the first exam.
"You said in class that this was an aside, and not important to exam 1, but do we need to know *insert random subject here which I clearly said in class was not on the exam* for the exam?" Yes. That is very important for the first exam.
"Some one said that you were interested in the Mexican economy. Do we have to know the capital of Mexico for the first exam?" Yes. That is very important for the first exam.
"In some one else's class we discussed *insert random subject here*. Do we need to know this for the first exam?" Yes. That is very important for the first exam.
"My cat's breath smells like cat food." Yes. that is very important for the first exam.
Two of these are fake.
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