Cumulative (adj.): including or adding together all of the things that came before.
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, cumulative is the adjectival form of the verb cumulate (link: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cumulate), which is the far less common version of accumulate. These two verbs come from the Latin word cumulare, meaning to heap up, which in turn comes from cumulus, meaning mass.
Humanity is cumulative. All of our knowledge and our advances are due to an accumulation of artifacts and ideas and previous innovations. Our lives are cumulative forms of experiences and memories and ideas and ideals. Without knowing it, we are a successful experiment in the successful accumulation of thought.
When we approach cumulative exams, they seem impossible due to the multitude of information thrown at us at once. A cumulative exam can encompass the minutest details, or the most difficult processes, or the most obscure facet of any situation. But we are an accumulation of so much more than just facts, so it seems daunting to take on this incredible task.
But we have been practicing our accumulations for our whole academic careers. We have been in school for at least 13 consecutive years. We study every day by taking notes, reading the textbook, listening to lectures in class, and absorbing a little bit of new information every single day. When we study, we read our notes, we rewrite the main ideas, we make flashcards, and we devote hours to creating the database of information for every class. Exams are definitely scary, no doubt about it. But all we are doing is demonstrating a craft that we have honed for more than a decade.
When you see a cumulative exam, don’t think about the journey ahead. Think about the fact that you are doing something that you were literally born to do. We accumulate information without thinking about it, so a conscious effort is clearly just as doable.
Take a step back. Breathe. And do great work.