HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY GIFT OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION NOV 7 1923 CONTENTS THE SMITH COLLEGE MONTHLY is published at Northampton, Massachu- setts, on the 15th of each month, during the year from October to June, inclu- sive. Terms, $1.50 a year, in advance. Single numbers, 20 cents. Contri- butions may be left at 3 Gymnasium Hall. Subscriptions may be sent to E. M. deLong, 58 High Street, Northampton. Entered at the Post Office at Northampton, Massachusetts, as second class matter. The statement that Smith is a college without marks is quite true as far as the students' knowledge of the marking system is concerned. We know that such a thing exists, and that each student's grade is kept carefully recorded in the registrar's office for members of the faculty to inspect at will. Moreover, we know that if our work falls below a certain standard, we shall be notified of the fact; first, by the professor in whose class it occurs, and then, if the certain amount of improvement does not take place, by a notice from the office, after examinations, of a low grade or even a condition in that subject. These we are told lower our standard; and popular opinion, while believing that a low grade has the greater effect in that direction, nevertheless declares in its favor, as there is nothing to be done about it, while in the case of a condition a second examination is required. On account of the size of the college the scientific student, it seems to me, has the advantage over the literary or classical one in the matter of feeling in touch with the department; for her laboratory work is under constant supervision and her note book must be passed in at certain stated intervals and is returned with criticism. Superlatively good work in any department is usually awarded a public recognition in the shape of election to membership in the society connected with the department; and this recognition is considered more or less official. In general, the students believe that to be a member of a department society means real worth, while they are often skeptical and a great deal more critical towards the elections of the two literary societies, because in the former case they suppose that one who is in a position to do so has passed judgment upon a student's work, while in the latter case they know that the decision has devolved upon those who have no definite knowledge beyond a certain point and are therefore liable to make mistakes. For the average student, excessively bad work seems to be the only way in which she may gain official recognition of any sort; for her recitations and written lessons are neither good enough to call forth commendation, nor poor enough to call forth expostulation. But notwithstanding the existence of official warnings and department societies, the fact remains that responsibility for work done is shifted between the professor and the student, any definite knowledge as to quality being left to the discretion of each according as conscience or curiosity may dictate; in other words, there is no consistent, definite recognition by the various departments of each student's work which she is permitted to know except by indirect means. However, we all adapt ourselves to the present state of things, -the majority of students, I think, being in full sympathy with it, since they declare that a knowledge of marks would tend to create an unfriendly spirit of rivalry which would lead to bad feeling. They say that they have no desire to know their standing, though whether this unselfish suppression of curiosity is in the interests of learning or in the interests of the individual, it is sometimes difficult to determine. On the other hand, there are some students to whom this imposed ignorance is a daily trial; they do not dispute the merits of the marking system, they know nothing about systems; they simply ask that the privilege now accorded to the faculty alone may be extended to the students, that each one may know from time to time in every department what the professor's estimate of her work is; and they believe that the positive good resulting from this knowledge would far outweigh the predicted evils. In the first place, to the student who does her work well and knows that her standard is high, marks would at least be a satisfaction. It is without doubt true that close study always brings its own rewards and that scholarly work is sure to call forth commendation; but occasional praise is by no means. the same thing as scientific knowledge of well-doing set down in black and white, which would enable the student to compare her work in different studies, and would afford her real satisfaction. In the second place, to the student who does very average work, marks would be an inducement to study harder; and real study, it seems to me, is what we need more than anything else, for I think that a large proportion of the poor work that is done in recitations and examinations is due, not to lack of ability, but to lack of application. In a good many subjects we think that reading over a lesson twice at the most is quite sufficient: but unfortunately, if our minds grasp the salient points, our vocabularies are inadequate to extemporaneous elaboration; or we fail to grasp anything and go to class with a supersaturated solution of ideas in our heads, hoping that it will be crystallized by the professor's question. But chemical laws can not be depended upon in such cases, and instead of even decent answers a very groping recitation is usually the result. It must be discouraging for the professor and it is certainly very bad for the class, encouraging those who are in a like condition and enraging those who have really studied. And how would marks better this state of affairs? If the "half-baked" students actually could see what the longsuffering professors now keep to themselves, I think they would put more time on their work, for the pride of getting good marks if for nothing else; and I do not see how harder study can help leading to more interest in the subject itself, so that in the long run marks would after all come to be a subordinate incentive to work. I grant that if a student lacks application the only thing that can ever help her permanently is her own will; but you have only four years in which to educate that, and even if the lesson is learned in the end and she really studies in her senior year, it seems to me that there has been time wasted in the process and that the same result might have been gained earlier, if she had known definitely from the very first of all her failures and successes. And then in the third place, for the student who does just as little work as possible, a knowledge of marks would throw the entire weight of responsibility as to her position on her own shoulders. She would have a constant knowledge of her standing, and could plead no previous ignorance when called to account for poor work. But there is an objection which some students urge against a knowledge of marks, which is that even if a student is doing her very best she sometimes fails to grasp a subject, and the discouragement which positively knowing this brings is very disheartening. I can not see, however, that it is a disgrace not to be able to do some things, since there are sure to be others in which we excel; and the sooner we realize the fact the better, for then much time and strength spent on the subject we can not grasp may be utilized in those subjects which we can comprehend, and much friction of vain adjustment will be saved. As regards the college in the aggregate, I think that a knowledge of marks would remove much of the tension which exists from the time that the examination schedule is posted until after the notices of low grades and conditions have been sent out. Even the most sensible occasionally succumb to the general excitement and declare that they are going to get a low grade in-well, anywhere from one to three subjects, though whether they always believe it, or offer the suggestion in sympathy to others who really stand in danger, I can not say. It is almost pathetic to see how the students depend on each other for reassurance. Perhaps one has failed in a previous examination and the dread of doing so again hangs over her, although she is certain that her work has improved. She hopelessly tries to remember the number of good and poor recitations she has made throughout the term, the quality of her written lessons, and ends despairingly to a reassuring friend, "Well, I may get a low grade, but I don't see how I can get a condition." Of course a student will always worry over examinations to a certain extent, either from the desire to pass brilliant ones or from the fear of failures; but it seems to me that a great deal of the strain would be removed if we were accustomed to think of the teacher's estimate of our work rather than our own or that of our friends. Many of the students think that in their relations with one another a knowledge of marks would be unfortunate, as it |