In college, I studied government and political science. Years later when my son was about to enter college, I counseled him to follow his own interests and not to worry about the alleged economic return of specific courses. Despite my strong interest in government, most of the courses I could then remember 25 years after my graduation were in English and American literature and in Fine Arts. To me this suggested that one major contribution of a university is in providing freedom for the student to discover new interests and to pursue them. Equally important is the opportunity to learn whether a future vocation or profession is appropriate. A student's decision to abandon future studies in law or medicine, for example, may reflect greater understanding and awareness rather than the lack of ability. Anyone who has ever graded an exam in a course he has taught is unlikely to enjoy repeating the experience. It is difficult to craft an exam that will cover the course material and that can also be marked promptly. Interest in the subject, rather than the need to prepare for exams, seems far more likely to promote learning that will outlast the exam period. Term papers or open-book, take-home exams with limits on the length of student responses may even provide a better incentive for study and application of course materials than would a closed-book exam. That was my experience in teaching third year law students the law of trusts and estates. Presenting the far more enjoyable writings of Mark Twain in this manner could have even more positive results.