In the past, I've had students call my problem sets “emotionally trying”
Pretty much most senior level&#x2F;grad algorithm classes are like this. They introduce a framework for solution and then give you about 2-3 example lecture problems that they walk you through. 2-3 weeks after being introduced to 5&#x2F;6 frameworks its Exam day. You are given unique word problems that, in the eyes of someone experienced like a prof or PhD student, is trivial. But you are struggling with 1 week of homework experience to fit a word problem into one of the frameworks you studied. There just was not enough time dedicated to dissecting how to parse word problem, look for patterns, map it to a framework. It was basically left to the student to figure it out in 1 week based on 3-4 homework problems. On exam day you are just emotionally devastated looking at the problem not knowing where to start - you keep throwing various framework structures on the problem hoping some hints of a solution bounce back at you.<p>But there are smart people who get all this stuff &quot;easily&quot; (previous practice, exposure). The rest of us walk out of the exam wondering how many trucks hit us.