The one who said “This won’t be on the test” — it always was.
THE ONE WHO SAID “THIS WON’T BE ON THE TEST” — IT ALWAYS WAS.
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We all remember those hallowed lecture halls. The air buzzing with intellectual energy, a brilliant mind at the front, deeply engrossed in their subject. Our professors, icons and oddballs alike, possessed an unparalleled ability to dive deep, often taking fascinating, elaborate detours. "This is purely for intellectual curiosity," they'd declare, a dismissive wave of the hand, "definitely not on the exam." A collective, almost imperceptible sigh of relief would sweep through the room. Some pencils would pause. Others, the perpetually wary, would exchange knowing glances, a tiny seed of doubt already planted. We'd trust them. Mostly.
Then came the moment of truth: the midterm, the final, the terrifying blue book. There, staring back at us, would be that exact obscure reference, that specific tangential anecdote, that seemingly inconsequential detail they had so confidently dismissed. The one they assured us was merely a charming sidebar. A silent, internal groan. A wry, knowing smile if you were lucky enough to recall it. They got us. Every single time.
It wasn’t malice; it was just... Professor. Perhaps a subtle, advanced lesson in critical listening and the art of connecting seemingly disparate ideas. Or maybe, in their boundless brilliance, they simply forgot their own pronouncements, so consumed by the beauty of the knowledge itself. It’s a shared rite of passage, a uniquely Ivy League quirk that taught us to pay attention to every single word. And sometimes, it was unintentionally hilarious.
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