Remember the history student who proclaimed "the slave trade was one of those institutions that seems like a marvellous idea at the time"?

What about the theology student who concluded that "mouth-to-mouth prophecy was no longer effective" or the law student who thought "devilled work" was "a type of Creole cookery".

Times Higher Education is proud to announce the revival of an old tradition belonging to the summer months - its student "exam howler" competition. Readers are invited to send in examples of the wit and wisdom of their students - protecting their identities, of course. A magnum of champagne will be given to the submitter of the winning entry.

Previous competitions have produced gems such as the student who shed new light on the likely effects on cattle of bovine spongiform encephalopathy: "Their language has no deeper meaning ... cows just moo for the sake of it."

91ÇÑ×Ó

There was also the would-be developmental psychologist's assertion that "if a child is left out for more than 20 hours a day it would have a devastating effect on the child's development".

Equally memorable was a dietary interpretation of the New Testament's 40 days in the wilderness: "Christ's temptation in the dessert."

91ÇÑ×Ó

- Send entries to rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com and provide your contact details.