The Fall 23 Student Experience
The Fall 2023 semester is officially over, and Winter 2024 is about to begin. Let’s take a look at how Marianopolis students feel about their experience during those four months.
***Due to time constraints, information was gathered from a smaller sample size***
The “Good”
Students generally enjoyed seeing their friends, getting involved in clubs, and participating in school-organized activities. Though student life appears to be Marianopolis’ main positive quality, one student nominated the campus as one of their favourite things about the establishment.
One can easily note how the social aspects of our CEGEP seem to contribute the most to student happiness in what is generally considered an academically stressful environment.
The “Bad”
Several responses brought up our school’s competitive atmosphere and the stress that it generates. A few people also shared how they enjoy “nothing” academically-related at Marianopolis and that teachers can be “strict” or demanding at times. Two responses also highlighted the high cafeteria food prices, an ever present aspect in student opinion surveys.
Overall, survey respondents viewed academic competition as the least enjoyable part of our college. Though this aspect of our school is unlikely to change anytime soon, a few students proposed some positive changes that Marianopolis could implement.
Some Student Suggestions
One student mentioned how there should be “more peer tutors” and that the service could be extended to people who do not necessarily struggle heavily but could benefit from some “extra help.” This respondent also shared how the academic advisors’ few availabilities make it difficult for students to reach them when needed.
Another individual suggested “building more reserved spaces” to allow students “to be alone and in complete silence,” since the library sometimes fails to provide that quiet atmosphere. At the time the survey was sent, the underground library space had not been completed yet, but the student expressed their hope for it to be a silent space once it opens.
Feelings about Finals
Many responses described their workload as “massive” but “manageable.” Another common theme identified is the stress that students were under during that exam period, with the degree varying greatly from person to person. Some wrote that their finals went rather unpleasantly: comments include “stressed im dying and it was awful” and “big flop era.” Others did not feel as strongly and simply shared that this period was “okay” or “fine.” Additionally, a few people answered that they did not encounter significant issues and that their exams went really well. However, student opinion on finals is usually influenced by the grades received. If you didn’t do as well as you hoped, you still have the chance to improve during the Winter 2024 semester!
In short, although Marianopolis’ strong emphasis on academics appears to be causing great stress to its students, the school’s social life helps mitigate that uncomfortable feeling. Hopefully, the school will take more initiatives in the future to diminish some of the pressure felt by the student body.
