COS Department exam entrance allowance

#38: - Re: Re:  

Let's all take a step back and stop attacking each other.

I understand where you're coming from and I do agree with you, we shouldn't be babied - this is no longer highschool. We need to develop our own skills in terms of how we learn and understand different information. When working in the industry a sense of independence will definitely go a long way.

However I think you're underestimating how important a university program is in aiding this. You may be able to easily learn at home (or another location, perhaps a local library). You may also be very capable of grasping and understanding concepts, without the need for too much help from a teacher or tutor. Perhaps you've relied on YouTube videos and other online tutorials. If this is the case then that is fantastic and you are clearly on the right track.

Unfortunately not everybody is the same. We all learn in different ways, using different methods. Many of us have disruptive homes or no easy access to locations that facilitate learning. There are also many students who do not have easy access to computers and/or an internet connection.

The usual university program allows students to attend lectures and subsequently interact in these lectures to learn and understand more. The marking/practical sessions that we would have in the labs were a huge help in learning how to apply our knowledge. Furthermore it provided many students with a learning environment. A library, computer labs, study centers etc. These are things that many students may take for granted but some students rely on it completely to get by - and that is fully justified because we all pay tuition so that these resources are available.

This has all been taken away as a result of the #FeesMustFall movement which was completely out of our control. Other faculties clearly understand this and that is why they have made so many changes to accomodate their students. There is no doubt that the lecturers and professors have also been put under pressure and that is very unfortunate but the fact remains that countless students have been severely disadvantaged.

This petition is unlikely to change anything and that is truly sad because it no doubt sends the message that our department does not actually care about its students, and are mostly in their postions for other reasons. I'm not saying this is true and I would personally prefer not to believe it, but after speaking to countless CS students this is sadly what seems to be portrayed.

We are all different people from different backgrounds. We all have different resources available to us and we all learn differently. This is not Darwinism, a university should facilitate learning to the best of its ability and in this case I do not believe the CS department has done all that they can to make this possible.