I have a fantastic science academic advisor / counselor who has helped me a ton since I started the biomedical sciences program at York. Pretty much every time I was paranoid and had a question about something, she was always there for help, support, and advice. You honestly can’t do anything on your own, and if you really think you can, I think you’re underestimating the support you’re probably getting from the people around you.

When I told her I got accepted into medical school, she suggested that I might be able to still get a 3-year bachelors degree. I am currently in a 4-year biology program, and while I don’t have enough biology credits for a 3-year biology degree, I had heard before that getting a 3-year general science degree might be possible if I got in this year, though I really didn’t expect anything. Anyways, she told me last week that she’d get my academic record checked to see what would be possible, and I got this awesome email today:

Hi Joshua,

We’ve taken a look and you are eligible for the BSc (no major)…

So that’s cool. I wanted to be a York alumni, so that’s great. Also, I had the option of possibly getting into this year’s convocation, but I decided that I’d rather do it next year with all of my friends. My name won’t be in the booklet if I do that, but I don’t really care about that!

What’s the deal with cumulative exams?

While we’re on the topic of academics (sort of), I want to ask, seriously, why are there cumulative exams? I honestly don’t get it. You’ve given me tests and midterms, and now you want me to learn new material AND test me again on something I’ve already proven I know?

I have had three courses in my undergraduate program that had non-cumulative exams, but the rest have all been cumulative. For some courses, particularly those in biology, it’s just crazy. There’s such a ridiculous amount of material to know, and it feels ridiculous to have to go over the same stuff again – especially when you have other exams to do as well.

I guess one argument could be that the newer material builds on the previous. Perhaps that’s true for courses based primarily on understanding (and less on innocuous facts), but trust me, I’ve had completely fact-based courses (e.g. the wonderful biochemistry courses) that had cumulative exams, and where understanding of one section had little dependence on prior sections.

Okay, so maybe it’s to “prove” that we’re able to know the entire course at once. But how important is this really? Honestly, I am just as likely to forget any random details after the second time around. My understanding of the material may always be there, but again, that’s already been proven.

So really, I think the only purpose is just to have another way to separate the hard workers from the lazier people (oops, I guess that’s why I’m complaining, because I am one!). I guess that’s not really a bad thing, in terms of the value of a degree and what it would mean to employers and other parties. But I really don’t see any significant academic or learning value that comes from doing it.

I don’t know, what do you think?