The new location for the resits: the grounds of rowing club Argo. Photo Guy Ackermans Students retaking exams in the second and third weeks of July this year will do so at rowing club Argo’s premises. This is a pilot, which will be evaluated at the start of the next academic year.
Dean of Education Barnold Echt is enthusiastic about the new exam location: ‘We know from research that working in a quiet, natural setting next to water boosts concentration. We also expect more students to turn up for the resits if the exams take place close to the Rhine beaches rather than on campus.’
The education committee came up with the idea after the 0317 Festival, which was held on the Argo grounds last weekend. Various members of the education committee, including Barnold Echt, went to the festival to get an idea of the site. ‘The atmosphere was amazing,’ says Echt. ‘You could hear the water babbling, the sun was shining and everyone went wild. A world of difference compared to the stuffy gym hall in De Bongerd.’
We expect more students will actually turn up for the resits now
It has been known for a while that a natural environment is good for students’ wellbeing and ability to concentrate, says Forest and Nature Conservation lecturer Oen Karts. He regularly teaches classes outdoors on campus and has been sleeping in the open air for the past 27 years. ‘Students currently give their exam experience 3 out of 10 on average,’ he explains. ‘But I would expect that score to go up a lot if we hold exams outdoors. My assumption is also that an off-campus location would be even better than outdoors on campus, where there are so many cars.’
Argo was also keen on the idea from the start. ‘The more students visit our premises, the better,’ says competition coordinator Spyr Pein. ‘While students are struggling with their fifth attempt to pass Maths 2, we have plenty of time to assess the quality of their backs and shoulders. We could do with some new competitive rowers.’
If the pilot goes well, WUR will look at moving other activities to Argo as well. Echt: ‘The Summervibes Festival is an obvious choice. The patch of grass next to Atlas is soggy and it’s always so windy there. The sooner we move, the better. It would also be a huge improvement if the campus run ended at the Rhine. As for the Bioblitz, think how many new species we could discover along the water’s edge. And to be honest, the Albert Heijn To Go should live up to its name and go too.’
