As someone who just finished qualifying exams for a PhD program (in history), I agree with your assessment somewhat. However, I wonder if you’re not too quickly discounting their value. You might consider the value of studying material for the exams. You may end up seeing old ideas in a new light and may find your notes useful years down the line for teaching.
Even though better pedagogies might exist—that, say, require you to do the memorization at the same time as doing something that involves more in-depth thinking and learning—you have to be there and do the exams anyway, so it’s best to see them in a positive light, which will hopefully increase both your ability to pass and your ability to get something out of them. The information IS a valuable tool, and seeing it as such will help you use it.
And, certainly, rote studying is FAR better than coasting by on one’s enormous intellect—at least, if one doesn’t have anything better to do.
As someone who just finished qualifying exams for a PhD program (in history), I agree with your assessment somewhat. However, I wonder if you’re not too quickly discounting their value. You might consider the value of studying material for the exams. You may end up seeing old ideas in a new light and may find your notes useful years down the line for teaching.
Seconded.
Even though better pedagogies might exist—that, say, require you to do the memorization at the same time as doing something that involves more in-depth thinking and learning—you have to be there and do the exams anyway, so it’s best to see them in a positive light, which will hopefully increase both your ability to pass and your ability to get something out of them. The information IS a valuable tool, and seeing it as such will help you use it.
And, certainly, rote studying is FAR better than coasting by on one’s enormous intellect—at least, if one doesn’t have anything better to do.