Inside April 20, 2004's Issue

College teaches many lessons not learned from textbooks

Six Mile Post staff says goodbye

Surviving the Regents' gauntlet

Editor's Box
By Sam Chapman
[email protected]
Editor

It would be a misconception to think that any test is a breeze, especially one that cannot properly be studied for. And it's not just the test that is to be worried about, but also the conditions in which the test is taken. The timing of it, room temperature, the volume of the crowd and the set-up of the whole thing are all to be taken into consideration.

Recently, I took the Regents' Exam, and this is primarily what I am speaking of.

The test was to be given in the Lakeview Auditorium. When I arrived to take it, which was close to 25 minutes early, I was surprised by the extensive line, which was messily split into rows. One curved in an �S� through the Lakeview Lobby, blocking doors, and the other reached the parking lot, where students stood in the sun on the uncomfortably hot day.

The two-hour test was scheduled to start at 1 p.m., but didn't get going until 2:30 p.m.

This was not the best way for the testing session to begin.

First of all, I'm sure the time spent waiting added to the stress, and many others had prior engagements to worry about. For example, I sat at a table with someone who had her children with a babysitter for a specific time, and waiting to take the test was running up the woman's bill. I was scheduled for a taping for GHTV at 3:30 p.m. and was an hour late, and I had to be at work at 5 p.m.

The room we were in was not only extremely crowded, six to a table, but pretty chilly as well.

I realize that it's probably somewhat difficult to set up the whole thing for the ton of students taking the test, but the numbers were expected when everyone signed up.

Maybe next time there can be an additional testing room so test takers won't be so crowded.

The temperature in the room should be set to a comfortable level so everyone doesn't have to depend on the body heat of those surrounding them.

And the lines could be a little more properly divided so those students complaining about waiting outside would not have a reason to complain.

If the conditions in which the test were given were more comfortable, then maybe the test scores would be higher than expected.

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