The IRAC approach
The IRAC method seems to be helpful on the surface, offering a systematic way to approach exam questions. However, it is ironically shown to mislead students and is too simplistic of an approach.
Misleading advice
At the beginning of the text, the professors point out that often advice given by well-meaning second and third-year students can ironically be misleading. As such, they advise students to take this advice with a pinch of salt.
Moral convictions
One ironic thing commented upon in the text is the fact that professors will often seemingly discourage students from using their own moral convictions in their argument. However, Fischel and Paul comment this is usually because professors are after a more complex approach, with moral conviction interwoven into this approach.
Getting the top grades
Fischel and Paul comment upon the frequent irony of students who hardly study but somehow end up with top grades. They explain that is usually due to an ability to apply the knowledge they have to different situations.
It isn't what you know...
Ironically, students will often approach an exam with an aim to prove to the examiner how much they know. This is ironic because of often leads to low marks due to a lack of analysis.
