The past several months have been a rollercoaster of unpredictable events and a mountain of anxiety. It seems as if our world has changed completely in just a short amount of time – with little hope to get back to the way it all was. Amid all the stress and fear, however, there is still one more decision yet to be made – one that will affect not just our GPAs, but possibly our health too.
That single question looms over every student like a ticking time bomb: what about our final exams?
Possible Decision 1: On-Campus Final Exams
This decision would be the most logical, but also the most risky. The plan would be to conduct final exams on campus as scheduled, but with some minor adjustments. Suggested ideas are to conduct the exams outside in the open, while also taking care of social distancing and wearing face masks at all times. Rumors of more time slots to account for fewer students taking an exam at one time have been heard as well.
Pros:
In this scenario, everyone would get equal opportunity to score well this semester. It would also give a semblance of normalcy and require students to study whatever they’ve learned in order to pass. Students would finally have a chance to be rewarded for their hard work, and get a chance to increase their GPA
Cons:
The cold weather coupled with staggering infection rates across the city means this arrangement could be a recipe for disaster. Even with social distancing and face masks, the risk of spreading the virus is tremendous. And not to mention the students already infected and in quarantine – how can they be fairly accommodated? On-campus exams may be the most straightforward solution, but the possible disastrous effects cannot be ignored.
Possible Decision 2: Online Final Exams
Another possibility is to conduct final exams online. In this situation, each student would solve and submit their exam from home within a given time period. With regular classes being conducted on zoom and quizzes and assignments shifted online anyway, it’s possible that finals can be conducted in the same way.
Pros:
The risk of students contracting Covid-19 is completely eliminated. Online exams would force every person to stay home for at least a few weeks, and could even contribute to lowering the nationwide infection rate. Travel cost and expenses associated with preparing the campus for exams would also no longer apply. Like physical exams, online exams would give every student a chance to increase their GPA.
Cons:
The biggest drawback of online exams is bad internet connectivity. Every student’s worst nightmare is facing load shedding in the middle of an online quiz or important presentation. Even if one does eventually figure out a way to reconnect, the panic and anxiety surrounding the whole situation results in a very bad performance. Students are left begging their teachers to reconsider or scale up their grade to account for a situation that honestly wasn’t their fault. Online exams are also very difficult to monitor, with most students treating it as more of an open book exam with a time limit.
Possible Decision 3: No Final Exams
Depending on who you ask, cancelled exams are either a brilliant idea accommodating everyone, or a biased plan benefitting no one. This was the decision made last semester with the number of Covid cases at its peak in June – yet whether IBA continues to adopt the policy for this semester is unclear.
Pros:
No exams mean no studying, resulting in a much more relaxed student body. Students already going through a lot at home will have one less thing to worry about this semester. The IBA Admin won’t need to prepare anything for on-campus exams either, which means less effort required on all sides. Hard-earned GPAs will remain intact as well. With no reason to come to campus, staff and students will be safe from exposure to the virus.
Cons:
Although no exams may give students short term happiness, this can be very damaging in the long run. The fact is, students no longer have a reason to study. They may end the semester with passing grades, but no knowledge of what they’ve studied. What will happen when they go out in the real word with these hazy concepts? Will their degree hold any value if they don’t remember what they’ve studied? Even the students who have in fact worked hard will have nothing to show for it, with their GPA remaining the same as before.
No Right Answer
Before I began writing this article, I asked IBA students around me what option they preferred to get a general idea of the logic behind each possibility. The replies I received were so varied that I can’t help but think that in the end, there is no right answer to what can be done. The fact is, this pandemic has affected every person differently. What is easy for one student is a difficult compromise for another. I can only hope that IBA is able to make a decision which caters to as many students as possible, as we all seek to understand this new way of life.
9 thoughts on “The Final Exams Debate: On-Campus, Online, or Cancelled Entirely?”
The uncertainty is pretty much the elephant in the room right now. The slack provided by the relaxed attendance is already bad enough for students as it gives them room to skip classes. I’m guilty of choosing table tennis over classes many a times. Not taking exams is just going to make things worse for our education but who want exams anyways 😉
I completely agree with the fact that online classes have caused everyone to become relaxed and unmotivated. It’s frustrating because on one hand we know that not giving exams will prevent us from actually learning, yet the alternative has its own negatives as well. It’s a tricky situation. :/
No one takes in account that the freshies have been going online since day one and have no idea how to study or give exams and we all know how many problems arise during online classes. Most of the students don’t even have stable internet connections to begin with (PTCL). So at least exams for freshies should be cancelled. Taking it on campus or online is both going to be very challenging for us.
This is definitely a very valid point. Freshman have had barely any time to get used to university life in general, and then adding all of this uncertainty is just making things worse. I’m in the same boat as you with unstable internet so online exams make me just as worried as on-campus ones. Here’s to hoping that whatever decision is made benefits everyone!
You’re so right about there not being a right answer. Where there have been such unprecedented times, no one can possibly predict what’s going to be the right course of action. We can only hope for the best.
Yes, exactly. No matter which way things go, someone will be left at a disadvantage, which makes the whole situation even more anxiety-inducing.