Funny Way to Cheat: Exam on Thermodynamics (or Whatever)

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(Sorry for the one week delay! I had an editorial project to finish, which prevented me from living about ten days)

How to cheat on exam? Fantasy has no limits here too. (I don’t want to go into details about ethic here. This site is about true stories. This story is funny. I invite you hence to enjoy this and the ingeniousness of this guy here, and NOT to learn from him how to cheat on exams which I strongly disapprove. I’d advice you to read this article about conservation of energy at work.)

Well, it happened a bit before my years of study of Physics, with our teacher, Mr. Boaru. Yes, it´s the same Mr. Boaru from this story. He used to teach Thermodynamics. For the exam we got a looong list with all the theoretical subjects to come.

No, this list was not as helpful as it seems to have been. What use was to know that on subject number 27 there was Enthalpy to be treated, and that it was coming together with God knows what calculation of which Energy? And that the slip of paper containing subject number 80 was  including "Thermodynamics of systems in equilibrium” with the Entropy of... are you still here? There were about 100 slips of such papers, mostly containing three subjects, some four... And a few days to learn them all.

Or not. 

Illustration for Funny Way to Cheat: Exam on Thermodynamics (or Whatever)

Hidden beauty of Physics. (VERY well hidden, indeed)

Student Ivanescu Did Find a Way to Cheat. Exam Taken!

(Those of you cheating exams may find this instructive too. Fortunately not many exams use this method.)

He only learned one subject. I mean, all three subjects from only one slip of the papers he would have to draw from by the examination.

The exam was, as you may have realized, orally. That means usually three or four students sharing the same blackboard. They come in, choose their slip of paper scattered on a desk, announce to the commission the order number of their slip, and then go to the desk to write down some notes about their topic. When finished, they go to the blackboard and fill their share of it with what they know. Then they present it, one after the other, to the commission. When finished, they give the paper back, get out of the room and are replaced by other students.

Ivanescu entered among those first ones. But not out of braveness did he that. He took one slip of paper, looked at it and then shook his head. He quickly put it back and scrambled them all.

"What are you doing, Mister Student?!?!" Mr. Boaru asked in a condemning voice.

"Oh, sorry, sir, you know... I kindly ask you to take another slip."

"You have taken already one. What was its number?"

"Yes, I did, sorry sir, I am very superstitious and... You know, it was number 13..."

Mr. Boar straightened his back.

"Then please do take back your number 13. We are at an University here. Here we make science. No place for silly superstitions."

Mr. student Ivanescu must have had difficulties to cover the satisfaction on his face while looking obediently for the slip number 13, among all the slip of papers containing all the other subjects he hadn’t learned scattered on the table...

Illustration for Funny Way to Cheat: Exam on Thermodynamics (or Whatever)

Pick up your favorite exam subject!

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