Breaking the cycle of teach, test, forget
A focus on exams makes it harder for students to cultivate a deep understanding of their subject
Over a recent coffee break, shared between an international mix of PhDs and postdoctoral research associates, we discussed the overwhelming joy of finishing undergraduate chemistry. It was a cathartic release of our groans over the rigmarole that underpins many university degrees – most notably, the bottled stress and anxiety of revising for exams during the holiday period, which tarnished years of happy memories and family gatherings.