From August 9th students will know their timetables for the next semester. Are you satisfied with your choices and times? While some may feel happy with their schedules, a great number of students want changes made. A number of students have said they want a first-come-first-served method of course enrollment. Course registration at Sookmyung Women’s University follows a specific order; it starts with one’s school year, followed by one’s course completions, and then by one’s academic grades. Which is better? SMT reporter asked two students to share their thoughts on the issue.
- Debate Topic -
Course registration should operate on the first-come-first-served basis.
Pro
Chang Yeryung
Division of Business Administration '16
yeryung.chang@hotmail.com
I support the first-come-first-served policy when it comes to course enrollment. The first-come-first-served method would give more students a fairer chance of enrolling in a course that has limited capacity due to the large student body and the limited number of classrooms and faculty. Despite the upset, schools are forced to open huge lectures to meet demands. Universities are now becoming bias towards the academic elite by allowing them to select their courses before others of lower academic standards. As a result, only the top academic students are able to attain the type of university education they want. Others are left to pick from the leftovers. The first-come-first-served manner of course enrollment would be representative of contemporary competitive society. The competition would eliminate a focus on performance and results. It would allow an individual to succeed based on effort and desire. University is the final stage before one enters the real world. Students should get familiar with competition and stress. Schools should encourage course enrollment competition as it will better prepare students for what lies outside university walls. The first-come-first served policy will ensure all students are given fair opportunity to choose course they wish to enroll in, regardless of school year and academic performance. Lecture enrollment according to academic performance overlooks the potential of many students. Therefore, schools should utilize the first-come-first-served policy for course registration. Removing bias in class enrollment guarantees equality.
Con
Kim Jungeun
Department of Statistics '16
wo80525@naver.com
The enrollment system of Sookmyung Women's University allows students to register for courses leisurely. The burden and stress of registration are lessened. Many universities operate course enrollment according to the policy of first-come-first-served, but students at those school suffer greatly each enrollment period. They must wake early to beat the rush or sit for hours in a PC room with high-speed connectivity to ensure they get the courses they want. More often than not, they fail to create the timetable they want because courses become full and should rethink their timetables and courses. However, at Sookmyung Women’s University, there is a set hierarchy for course enrollment, so even if students are unable to enroll in course they want, they only need make minor adjustments to their intended timetables. In other words, students are able to make good use of the tuition they pay. Some complain that only the academic elite are able to benefit from Sookmyung Women’s University’s enrollment policy, but the first-come-firstserved method would be even more unfair. Enrollment would only be determined by order of application. Enrollment criteria should be various. Enrollment criteria at Sookmyung Women's University include much more than academic standings. It takes into consideration school year and previously completed school hours, so students are given more opportunities to enroll in courses that better match their aptitudes.
