BERKELEY, Calif. – Beleaguered students had their spirits lifted Friday as their CS 61b GSI, Gray D. Naughton, announced a make-up midterm opportunity immediately following their exam.
“Okay y’all, nice work,” Naughton chimed, interrupting the Campanile’s 10PM peal. “Now let’s take a silly one! In fact, sit back down. The silly midterm will drastically affect the grade you received on the midterm itself. Please take out a blue book.”
The general mood in the hall rapidly soured as students realized that the hours-long ordeal they had undergone had, in fact, just begun.
“Cheer up everyone! This is going to be free points, trust me; the Professor and I have determined that this will be sufficient to equalize grades, so before you ask, we will have no curve on this exam. Either way, here are the instructions; please compose a minimum 2 paragraph response to the following question: ‘Why did the Turkey cross Piedmont Avenue?’”
Students who were present for the exam expressed dismay at its progression. Sophomore William Tell reflected on the experience.
“How on earth was that a ‘silly’ midterm? I toil for hours on Java, and once I’m finally done, I finally think I’m free, my GSI has the chutzpah to pull this on us? There is nothing silly about extending my never-ending midterm season.”
At press time, course staff revealed the average “silly midterm” grade to be 76%.