I wrote and passed my exam, therefore I know!❌🤓

Being a Business Information Technology student for about four years now, while studying modules that are mostly practical I question the necessity of theoretical examinations. Arguably, how can you gauge a persons knowledge on a topic that takes years of experience to be mastered and is now being taught in about six months?

Ultimately what do we study for?

• To gain knowledge that will help enrich your life?
• To have a piece of paper that has your name and qualification on it?
• Because my parent's told me to?

Sometimes I question these points, what keeps a person motivated to study? As a person who seeks to gain knowledge more than just pass a module to say "Hey, I've done it." The educational system makes me question many things...

A personal example

After studying project management in my last semester and being asked the definition of a scrum methodology, I can definitely re-iterate the definition I sat and memorized the day before this question was given to me, but ask me to implement a scrum methodology in a project and I will probably go cross-eyed. How is this beneficial?

There have been one too many exams where I have had to sit and memorize or cram content into my brain just so that I could pass this subject, but therein lies the problem, after sitting down to write the exam the second I have left the venue I have forgotten everything that took me days to remember.

The leap from studying to working

I recently started a job as a junior developer, excited about my new position and all the knowledge I had been taught at university, I was ready to tackle the tasks. Little did I know that university did very little to prepare me for the working world. Most individuals that I have spoken to seem to think the exact same thing, in fact some have even regretted studying altogether.

Are students to blame?

Granted not everything can be completely pinned on lecturers and the education system. Learning is a two way street and if you are trying to provide knowledge, but students are unwilling to accept it, then naturally the lecturer will be less enthusiastic about their teachings.