Two-semester Contemplation

Source : http://tinyurl.com/mdwykmu

This semester has finally ended. To be exact, it was dramatically ended just today with an online statistical analysis remedial exam #sweats. Frankly saying, I don't feel satisfied with my academic performance. This semester is basically quite similar with last semester. I remember that I was only performed as a typical student who topsy-turvied to survive from a red elimination zone***. 

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For your information, when you're enrolling to BAU graduate school, you'll be addressed as a "regular" or "trial" student. A "regular student" is a student who has previously graduated from the same major/department as the major/department being enrolled at BAU. This "regular student" will have two semesters to prove his/her academic performance at the enrolled department with achieving a minimum GPA of 3.00 at the end of his/her second semester. Whereas a "trial student" is the one who has graduated from the different major/department as the major/department being enrolled at BAU or a student who has graduated from the same major/department but lower standard university compared to BAU. A "trial student" only has one semester chance to prove his/her academic performance; it means that a trial student must achieve a GPA of more or equal to 3.00 in order to proceed his/her study in BAU graduate school, at the end of his/her first semester. I was being addressed as a "regular student" because I was graduated from GMU's Food and Agricultural Product Technology department which of course similar with BAU's Food Science department. Hence, this second semester is quite an emotionally stirring period for me. If my GPA (from this past two semesters) is lower than 3.00, I'll be forcibly kicked out from BAU. 

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So, after enjoying two consecutive semesters at  the most intimidating major/department at BAU (-Food Science), I must say that I barely able to survive #bitter. This major/department is a no-joke. If you don't study extremely hard, unable to catch the fast studying pace and too relaxing, I'm guaranteed you'll be studying there only for two semesters, at most. Well, since I was previously studying at GMU dan NCYU (at the same major/department), I can make a comparison and finally conclude that BAU's Food Science department has a higher standard for its students. Should I be happy for that higher standard? Yes...and no.

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Honestly, thing that I argue the most at my department is its exam type. Until now, I still couldn't believe that a graduate student like me is still being exposed to a textbook-type questions at the exam. For a student who is extremely bad at memorizing chapters and chapters of course materials, that kind of textbook-type questions are just killing. My question is, why most of the lecturers at my department are so old-fashionedly unfair by going with their textbook styles? What is wrong by being creative with a more analytical-type questions, an oral exam, a journal-based paper, presentation and such? I still couldn't get it. Seriously. That is why when the lecturers are go with a textbook-type exam, I almost always get a low score. Contrarily, when they go with a more analytical-type exam or journal reviewing assignment and such, I always score high. 

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I believe that a lecturer or teacher's job is not to load student's brain with a mere course/teaching materials. Someone who pursues his/her passion as a lecturer or teacher should be able to inspire and trigger the students with his/her creativity in transferring science and knowledge, so that students will love to study, getting more curious in any information they received and passionately filling their empty jars. Just my two cents.

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***If your GPA is less than 3.00, you'll be kicked out from your current department or given a chance to move to another department. That's why I called it "a red elimination zone".