(Aside: the possible exception to this is Calculus and other advanced math classes, unless you are one of those people who absorb that with a minimum of effort;

(Aside: the possible exception to this is Calculus and other advanced math classes, unless you are one of those people who absorb that with a minimum of effort; you either understand Calculus (et. al.), or you don’t, you can’t really just push your way through those one. YMMV.) First day of my Calculus class: "This is a proof-based Calculus class! This means you must memorize these proofs for the test...". Actually understanding Calculus is hard work. If you don't believe me, pick up Michael Spivak's Calculus book sometime. Regurgitating the exact formula for integration by parts or the difference quotient will get you nowhere in solving real mathematics problems, which assume that knowledge as a base-step and require you to apply critical thinking and creativity to actually get somewhere. But universities are run like a business: the more money, the better. Students who become frustrated and quit because they're too lazy and/or stupid to actually think do not give them money, so it's easier just to make the tests easy for idiots who spend all their time memorizing things without analyzing their meaning or worth. Feh.