Of Open Book Exams and Deafness...

Guindy Engineering College, Chennai is considering having open book examinations. I am not sure if other colleges in India already have open book exams, but this, i believe, is a good move.

I was aware of this concept only while taking courses during my MS Degree, here in the United States. Most of my courses had open-book exams. The first time i took an open book test, i realized how tough it was! The questions were in no way related to what was already analyzed in the book that was in my hand! I have scored some really embarassing marks in some of these exams! It was a humiliating experience for someone who was used to scoring near full marks in almost all the exams back home! But the exams my university(in India) offered were mostly jokes! The scores mostly depended on how much one wrote and how the answer sheet was decorated! Here, it almost entirely depended on what one wrote! A huge leap and being nothing close to an extraordinary student, it took me a few attempts to get a hold on things. My worst grades were in the courses that were THE MOST important for my degree/thesis. Well, the grades don't matter much now- but then, they did!

But there's no denying the advantage these open-book tests offer. They make you think impromptu and extract fresh ideas out of your mind- something which can only mean good at any point of time in one's career/life. So, i guess it's a good thing that GEC is planning to introduce open-book tests. This also requires a great committment from the professors' part and if that's a given, i hope to see major improvements in the education system of GEC.

Another news i read today was both heartening and inspiring. It's really great to see the efforts taken by the students to help a friend restore his hearing, who they strongly believe deserves this kind of help. People like Senthil are always an inspiration. It doesn't sound great when ur mom says, "See- he's a poor kid and he studies well. What good are you, with all the comforts/luxuries that you have?"- but, when you get to know about such characters on your own, the inspiration is always there...a lesson to follow when i grow old!