I honestly loath both, even though i see the merit in their existence. However, the question that begs to be answered is, which is better?
quizzes are a one time pain. Forces you to go through all your notes and your content. Good that it helps you revise, but in reality, there’s no such thing as quizzes in the real world.
Projects on the other hand, are a longer term pain. They’re also a pain in more than one way. The human cooperation factor, the lack of a clear direction in most projects, the organisation of the work, creation of the structure of the report, the way the info is presented and the time at which everything comes together. It can really take a whole lot outta you. But not all projects are equal. Some are good in the sense that you learn alot about the content you are supposed to learn as you HAVE to apply them and this forces you to read up. However, there are those projects that have absolutely no bearing on what you have to learn to pass the exam later.
Then it brings the question, are we really studying for the grades? just for the grades? I really question the usefulness of a materials engineer or an economic bachelor’s knowing the formula for fourier coefficients to be found. Some things we just learn coz some OTHER engineering faculty or MOST other universities teach it, so we have to learn it if not our degree is not worth shit. But honestly, is that how things work in the real world? I wonder why we are still so tethered to the paper chase in this highly sterile and supposedly detached learning environment; aren’t we supposed to let ourselves be free from real world concerns in the pursuit of knowledge?
I am a thinker, a wonderer, a theorist and idealist at heart. Such restrictions , quizzes, and fundamental errors in the core values of education here really strike a nerve. The more jaded I get, the more practical i will get and the more I see the reasons of the paper chase. The more i see the so-called reasons, the more jaded i get. Its quite a vicious circle/cycle. I’m finding it hard to hold on to my ideals and my values on education . The fatigue, competition and the sense that we’ve got it all wrong fundamentally really drains my drive, resolve and leaves me disillusioned.
