Until a few years ago, college life was thought of mainly as a time for freedom from the rigorous studies of high school. However, this trend has been changing. Even after students make their way to college, they tend to study harder to get a high Grade Point Averages (GPAs) to get a good job or take advantage of other opportunities after graduation.

However, with the curve system at Ewha, not many students can maintain their GPAs as high as they wish. The university allows students to retake if they get below a grade of C+. And students may withdraw from courses before midterms. However, Ewhaians say these measures are insufficient. Beh You-jin (Psychology, 2) says, "I chose a boring and difficult course for my required credits, and I got a bad grade, but I have neither the desire nor courage to retake it. I wish I could take a different class from the same field and subsitute that grade for my bad grade." Han So-young (Political Science & Diplomacy, 2) echoes Beh in advocating such a system at Ewha: "Since the school set the grade limits as a C+ for retaking the same course, a policy allowng abandonment of taken credits should be adopted in school."

Other students advocate an even more flexible sort of credit abandonment system, such as the one that exists at Sookmyung Women"s University. Sookmyung allows students to abandon up to 12 credits (if they take more than the number) needed for graduation. Lee Su-bin (Sookmyung U., 2) says, "I thought most schools had the same system. I think it"s very useful in a way you don"t need to waste your time retaking courses."

Other universities, however, are not as liberal as Sookmyung. Hanyang University also has the credit abandonment system, but abandonment is limited to courses that no longer exist. Kang Sung-chan (Hanyang U., 2) says, "I heard that this measure only exists to supplement the system of retaking classes."

Ewha itself has no plans to provide measures allowing students to abandon credits. According to a staff member of the Office of Academic Affairs, "Currently there is no discussion on adopting the system yet. At present there is no plan to be consider it in the future."

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