18970 A Student Talking Back About Examinations. 147 Siu. —The theory is good, but how about the practice? A student has to prepare on from four to eight subjects. For two weeks before examinations he studies night and day, if he is honest and ambitious, and when the day comes he is too tired and nervous to tell anything but that which he has learned by rote. Telling this is good training, but does it accomplish the prime object—to teach a student to think rapidly ? Two hours of hard thinking tires the keener perceptions of the average student, and even if he is not discouraged at the outset by the amount of work to get over he is not able to do himself justice after the first half. For the discipline it is all right, but we are graded upon the results. Pro. —That could hardly be said about anything except mathe matics, and you know that the reputation of our mathematical department exonerates its methods. Stu. —But most of our students are in the engineering courses. Remove mathematics, and how much is left ? Besides, the prin ciple applies to all work. Pro. —Here is the point. The prospect of rigid examinations is a wholesome stimulant to do good work. There’s no need of this anxiety if one has done his work faithfully. Stu. —Theory again. The “ valuable training ” before referred to and the ‘ ‘ stimulant ’ ’ are unfairly apportioned. The hard worked ‘ ‘ grind ’ ’ barely gets through pulling liis grade down or failing entirely, while the less industrious, but brighter, man reaps the benefit, and upon his graduation from college is capable of giving instruction in precinct politics or legerdemain, loudly boast ing that he could fool the devil himself. Stimulant! Can you imagine a greater incentive to work well than the promise of escape from examinations if grades are sufficiently good ? One of the best loved of the men whose voices have been heard from our chapel platform, recently declared that now after decades have passed, the old horror of college examinations sometimes returns to him as nightmare to trouble his sleep. Pro. —Then would you excuse from examination all whose grades will permit ? Stu. —Ret the student and instructor arrange that. If a student wants to make a good grade better let him try. If he recites poorly, but expresses himself well on paper, give him the oppor tunity. The fewer number who are left to take the examination, while their more energetic classmates are enjoying their length-
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