"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."
Mal ,'Our Mrs. Reynolds'
Spike's Bitches 44: It's about the rules having changed.
[NAFDA] Spike-centric discussion. Lusty, lewd (only occasionally crude), risqué (and frisqué), bawdy (Oh, lawdy!), flirty ('cuz we're purty), raunchy talk inside. Caveat lector.
What Windsparrow said.
Of course, you could always go with "Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all." but that's a bit morbid for talk of a midterm.
"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."
Daniel, FTW!
Dear Student:
About 80 percent of your work life will consist of doing things you think are stupid. Get used to it.
A warning for people who indulge their pets with squeaky toys: I just took apart the vacuum cleaner to discover why its sucking sucked. It was a squeaker, which was exactly the diameter of the hose.
I really do feel that you do not have the students well-being at heart, but are concerned with what other professors and higher ups will think of your class.
"Higher ups have nothing to do with it. I just get off on torturing you. It's good to be the king queen. Learning enough to sail through the final is the only way you could possibly thwart my evil plans. IJS."
Calli FTW.
OTOH? You could just say "That's a real interesting perspective you have on the concept of midterms and finals. The philosophy department is down the hall and to the left."
Then there's the ever-popular and succinct, "Wah."
Also, the completely silent playing of the world's smallest violin.