Speaks Out

The state of California is looking for a way to ascertain
whether college students have reached a certain level of knowledge
by the time they graduate. Do you think a college exit exam is a
good way to accomplish this? Amanda Treleaven

Third-year

Japanese/Religion

I think majors today are too diverse to have one exam. With my
double major I’m not sure what they’d do. Chris
Campbell

Third-year

History

I don’t think it’s a very good idea. The
state’s not mandating you to go to college, so they
shouldn’t mandate a college exam. They don’t check up
on your progress throughout college. It’s kind of ridiculous.
Evan Saucier

Fourth-year

Political science/philosophy

I think a proficiency exam would help the education system in
California. People aren’t living up to expected standards. I
know in college many professors complain that writing is below
average. By large, I think exams would help employers give credence
to our degrees. Fareed Nabkel

Fourth-year

Electrical engineering

I really don’t think it would make much of a difference. I
personally don’t think that a college education is very
valuable. Most of the adults I’ve talked to say you use about
five percent of what you learned in college. It seems like that
would be the case from what I’ve learned so far. Gina Bae

Fifth-year

Biology

I don’t think there should be an exit exam. Every student
chooses what they want to get out of college so I don’t think
there should be a test that says what they’re supposed to get
out of college. Thomas Cecil

Graduate student

Mathematics

I think college is more specialized than high school and a lot
of schools don’t have the same requirements for what
you’re supposed to study. Some private schools don’t
have the same requirements as schools in the UC system. So the
states would spend a lot of money and I don’t know what the
test would really accomplish. Stephanie Chu

Third-year

History

I think having a college exit exam would be a bad idea because
there’s a whole bunch of standardized tests out there
already. Once you get out of college you’re going to go find
a job and if you don’t have any knowledge, you’re not
going to succeed.