Randomness Thing

As you know guys, I’m an employee for a private university called Swiss German University and every year before the 8th semester students get a chance to work on their final thesis, they have to participate in an oral comprehensive exam or as we call it, Oral Final Study Examination (OFSE).

Now, usually when we are still in the old building which is very isolated from the outside, we have no problem conducting the OFSE. However, as we moved to the new building, lots of external factors have to be concerned to make OFSE a successful event. Let me give you a glimpse of what’s going on in the OFSE event.

First of all, when the time of a particular student has to go to the examination room to pick his examination question sheet to be later on presented in front of the examiner orally, he has to standby sitting on a chair 5 minutes before the arranged time.

After that, he will go into the room, pick a question sheet and go out again to work on his answer for 15 minutes (There will be a time keeper outside, which in this particular event, I’m one of those guys). Now, the problem of working your answer outside the room can be very complicated.

1. Temperature Factor

Now, since it is outside, temperature can play a huge factor in giving the right concentration to students. They have to wear formal suite which can be very hot when it is sunny outside. How can you concentrate answering the questions when you are sweating like hell against the hot sunny day?

The problem also exist on a rainy day. I don’t know whether the building is ill-structured by ignorant architect, but seeing the picture here proofs that water intrusion can’t be avoided during the rainy day which will pretty much disturb the student with their papers being wet because of the water debris coming into the corridor.

2. Wind Factor

Now, because of the corridor structured building in Swiss German University, when it rained hard, the wind will be blowing very rough. If you see the picture on the left, you’ll see papers on the floor, that’s condition after a wind blow hard through the corridor. Look how far the paper was blown by the fierce wind.

This is of course another problem that the student encounter during their OFSE working time. This is definitely a concentration breaker and a nuisance when their answer sheet blown of by the wind and they have to get it.

If you added the rainy day, it will be much worst as the wet and dirty floor will stain the student’s answer paper.

3. Noise Factor

Now, this is maybe the most annoying part of the OFSE, people swirling around and having a discussion just like the picture on the left here. It is really a nuisance and a concentration breaker.

Let’s not forgot that this building is still under construction, so you will constantly hear hammer banging, floor crackling, and other noisy sound from the construction site.

I can say that this year, OFSE is not prepared very well. I guess they didn’t figure these factor out in the meeting before the event comes.

In the end, I guess Swiss German University needs to consider a room for the student to work their answer out which is isolated from this external factor. Let it be a separated big room where all OFSE participants are gather in that room or they will work their answer inside the examination room, you choose on of them.

As of now, working at the outside room is not a very wise idea.