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During my 1L year, I would incorporate subtle humor in my exam answers. For example, I'd repeat a joke the professor continually made throughout the semester. I think this technique was a factor (probably a small one) that helped me achieve high marks.

Has anyone else added humor to their exam answers? Does anyone know how a professor views this?

I do not think that humor contributed in any way to your grade.

I plan on throwing in a few of one of my professor's running jokes if I have time and opportunity. I figure (1) putting a smile on his face might improve my grade and (2) he'll know that I was paying attention in class.

NeighborGuy wrote:I plan on throwing in a few of one of my professor's running jokes if I have time and opportunity. I figure (1) putting a smile on his face might improve my grade and (2) he'll know that I was paying attention in class.

exactly!

Thedude737 wrote: I think this technique was a factor (probably a small one) that helped me achieve high marks.

No.

Thedude737 wrote:Has anyone else added humor to their exam answers?

No.

Thedude737 wrote:Does anyone know how a professor views this?

See first remark.

Terms I intend to use in my finals next week:

1. Vagaries
2. Dickering
3. "As TLS suggests" - not sure where this will go, but i'm certain it'll be compelling.
4. My name as a hypothetical actor in my analysis so as to completely blow anonymity.
5. One paragraph will also be dedicated to the term "reasonableness" copied/pasted 100 times.
6. Profit.

introversional wrote: 5. One paragraph will also be dedicated to the term "reasonableness" copied/pasted 100 times.

This would probably get you the A+ in torts.

zomginternets wrote:

introversional wrote: 5. One paragraph will also be dedicated to the term "reasonableness" copied/pasted 100 times.

This would probably get you the A+ in torts.

Oh and I will mos def include that Williston quote about the hooker walking around the corner to buy a coat.... whether or not it's consideration (who cares) and will finish with my presumption about what happened after she bought the coat.

Well, I got almost perfect for the written portion of my Property final and I included a bunch of humor in it.

However, I ended up with a B+ because I literally failed the multiple choice portion...but I digress.

i think it is a terrible idea, even if your professor is really humorous and witty in class. this guy is going to be looking at 40-70 full exams, combing through them in objective professional robot mode...

i just don't think it is worth it and humor isn't going to make the difference between an a and an a-...IMO...

also i'm going to use "dickering"' just because it is a solid word. "fungible" too. not funny tho.

Don't showboat unless you know you ace'd it.

bartleby wrote:i think it is a terrible idea, even if your professor is really humorous and witty in class.

FWIW, a 1L professor of mine had an issue in his exam that turned on whether or not as threesome happened. He was kind of asking for us to bring the humor IMO.

introversional wrote:

zomginternets wrote:

introversional wrote: 5. One paragraph will also be dedicated to the term "reasonableness" copied/pasted 100 times.

This would probably get you the A+ in torts.

Oh and I will mos def include that Williston quote about the hooker walking around the corner to buy a coat.... whether or not it's consideration (who cares) and will finish with my presumption about what happened after she bought the coat.

QF not knowing what 'tramp' means.

the humor in my exam will be the entirety of my inept response

It should depend on the professor. I used humor on my exam with the professor who made jokes continually in class. I discussed the exam with the professor later (I received an A- but was hoping for more feedback and to ask him some other questions) and he pointed to the humor as a welcome bit of the exam.

I also received another exam back from a professor, complete with the +1s for issue spotting. I don't know if he actually recorded it, but he wrote +1 on my exam where I identified the film the fact pattern was based on. I don't think humor is a way to get a better grade necessarily, but when done correctly it can put the prof in a better mood when grading your exam, which can't hurt.

viking138 wrote:It should depend on the professor. I used humor on my exam with the professor who made jokes continually in class. I discussed the exam with the professor later (I received an A- but was hoping for more feedback and to ask him some other questions) and he pointed to the humor as a welcome bit of the exam.

I also received another exam back from a professor, complete with the +1s for issue spotting. I don't know if he actually recorded it, but he wrote +1 on my exam where I identified the film the fact pattern was based on. I don't think humor is a way to get a better grade necessarily, but when done correctly it can put the prof in a better mood when grading your exam, which can't hurt.

Exactly these things.

yeah, i agree with above poster. this thread is kind of lacking commonsense. don't force the humor. i wouldn't think of adding humor in a word limit exam. i am constantly making jokes so it's part of my writing. but it's in no way any significant part of the written response since i'm so busy with the legal "analysis." some professors say they like it and some have commented it on it on the exam itself. it makes sense to me. i wouldn't mind a solid, unforced joke here and there while i'm grading all these shitty papers.

If my professor puts in a reference to Arrested Development like he did in a previous exam, I'm throwing in a "COME ON!" or something about beads.

IDGAF

I weaved humor in an out of my Contract final. Our Prof. was a genuinely humorous person, hell the fact patter was about three of our classmates! I got one of the highest scores in the class. So yes, I think it's worth it. After reading 40 monotonous answers I think it would be somewhat refreshing so long as it's within context.

Hannibal wrote:If my professor puts in a reference to Arrested Development like he did in a previous exam, I'm throwing in a "COME ON!" or something about beads.

IDGAF

My professor had a Lord of the Rings-themed question followed by a Spongebob-themed question that included a weird interplay where some of the LOTR monsters got stuck in the Spongebob universe. Not sure how I'd handle that one.

beachbum wrote:

Hannibal wrote:If my professor puts in a reference to Arrested Development like he did in a previous exam, I'm throwing in a "COME ON!" or something about beads.

IDGAF

My professor had a Lord of the Rings-themed question followed by a Spongebob-themed question that included a weird interplay where some of the LOTR monsters got stuck in the Spongebob universe. Not sure how I'd handle that one.

Obvious Duke prof is obvious.

LAWYER2 wrote:I weaved humor in an out of my Contract final. Our Prof. was a genuinely humorous person, hell the fact patter was about three of our classmates! I got one of the highest scores in the class. So yes, I think it's worth it. After reading 40 monotonous answers I think it would be somewhat refreshing so long as it's within context.

That's hilarious. What'd it say?

BaiAilian2013 wrote:

introversional wrote:

zomginternets wrote:

introversional wrote: 5. One paragraph will also be dedicated to the term "reasonableness" copied/pasted 100 times.

This would probably get you the A+ in torts.

Oh and I will mos def include that Williston quote about the hooker walking around the corner to buy a coat.... whether or not it's consideration (who cares) and will finish with my presumption about what happened after she bought the coat.

QF not knowing what 'tramp' means.

Thanks for this. Was thinking that I had read the same exact quote about a homeless guy and about to go see if that was by Williston.

Might depend upon whether or not the humor revealed significant insight into the topic. There can be a lot of truth in humor.

prezidentv8 wrote:

beachbum wrote:

Hannibal wrote:If my professor puts in a reference to Arrested Development like he did in a previous exam, I'm throwing in a "COME ON!" or something about beads.

IDGAF

My professor had a Lord of the Rings-themed question followed by a Spongebob-themed question that included a weird interplay where some of the LOTR monsters got stuck in the Spongebob universe. Not sure how I'd handle that one.

Obvious Duke prof is obvious.

haha, yeah. Although I have another professor that's pretty good with putting weird shit into his questions, too.