Over 94 percent showed responds negatively
The school had removed the previous three-day examination period for both midterm and final exams. The Student Government Association (SGA) opposed strongly against the school’s decision, stating that the change was made unilaterally without consulting the students.
The exam periods on the campus have gone through various forms. Originally, the test period was designated for a week, and all exams were taken within that period. Then came the liberal arts exam period, in which only liberal arts exams were taken within the three-day period. However, from the fall semester of 2015, the designated exam period was abolished due to the fact that it was hard to fulfill the mandatory class days with all the class cancellations during the exam periods.
After Ewha students went through the midterm exams without a liberal arts exam period for the first time, Ewha Voice surveyed 549 students about their experience and opinions regarding the change.
Among a total of 549 students, 29 students answered positively on the new exam policy while 520 students, amounting to 94.7 percent, responded negatively.
Among those who responded positively to the change, 61.8 percent felt that even when there had been a liberal arts exam period, not all subjects followed the set time and the exams for their major courses were taken during classes, so there was no significant difference. The rest of the positive respondents also thought having no exam period was not s bad as they had expected it to be.
Out of the 520 students who responded negatively to the issue, 82.5 percent said that it was too difficult to balance taking tests and attending classes, and 67.2 percent also complained of having to take exams over a longer period of time. Approximately 27 percent complained that they had to take their test in the evening to avoid conflicts with regular class schedule, and 17.2 percent said that due to disorganization of test locations, they had to take the tests in unsuitable environment, such as in small classrooms for a course with a large number of students.
When asked about which type of exam period students prefer, 69.1 percent wanted their past liberal arts exam period back, while 26.9 percent wanted to take all the tests within a week, and only 3.5 percent of students were satisfied with the current policy.
Ewha Voice also asked students to write additional opinions on the survey. Most of the responses expressed negative opinions on the current policy, giving detailed reasons for why the removal of the exam period was inconvenient. The following is a selection of student responses:
“I had three classes in one day and all three of them set their exams on the same day. It was really tough to prepare for the major and liberal arts courses at the same time. Also, although the school pointed out that classes will not be cancelled, I could not concentrate on the classes during the exam period. So it only seemed to deter the overall atmosphere of the classes.”
“I have been taking midterm exams for three weeks. The long exam period is becoming extremely stressful. I feel drained both physically and mentally, and the longer I attend this school, it seems to me that this school is not considerate of its students; to open up the reading rooms for shorter amount of time while having longer exam periods, and not setting the appropriate environment for students to study.”
Based on the statistics of the survey and various student opinions, students seemed to want the return of their previous three-day exam period; or at least, for the current exam policy of having no exam period at all to be reconsidered.
Due to the students’ opposition and the SGA’s reset project, president Choi Kyung-hee had two meetings to consider SGA’s demands on the behalf of students. During the first meeting, the president agreed to reconsider the abolition of exam periods, and on the second meeting, she finally decided to re-form the liberal arts exam period.
From 2016, the liberal arts exam period will be re-established to ensure the convenience of the students.
Lee Jae-lim
jenie1995@ewhain.net