새로운 장학제도에 관한 의견
Chonnam National University has been operating a new scholarship system since the second semester of last year. Unlike the previous academic only record-based scholarship system, the new system offers university scholarships to students by applying various criteria that include GPA score, student activity record, financial need, foreign language test scores and personality. Even though this new scholarship system encourages students to broaden their experiences and helps prepare them for getting a job, I think that it has a few bad effects that cannot be ignored.
Some students feel that extracurricular activity-centered criteria force them to widen their experience. However, it becomes a burden on students to do various activities and get good grades. In order to receive this scholarship, CNU students must maintain superior grades in their major. In addition to this, students should take foreign language tests like TOEIC, do volunteer work, participate in various programs such as leadership camp, get certificates, apply for contests and do an internship. In spite of the fact that students can broaden their experiences, students do not have enough time to spend on studying and doing a variety of activities. They have barely enough time to work in various fields of activity without neglecting their major. The proponents of a new scholarship system claim that it helps students to become ready for finding jobs after graduation. As companies look for people that have various experiences, a good variety of requirements to receive a scholarship are useful for students to become a competitive applicant by adding one more line on their resume. However, the university should not degrade into a job seeking-centered place. Cultural activities on campus have already been replaced by English or contest clubs that enable joiners to prepare to find a job. Under these circumstances, the new scholarship scheme would be too realistic to maintain the function of the university as an educational institution. In addition, CNU students seem to focus on studying what companies want rather than what they want to study. I am afraid that the university will be judged by the standards of companies.
I think the university is an institute for socialization and students are the pre-workers for the society. Nonetheless, the comprehensive activity-focused criteria for selecting scholarship students could prevent students from concentrating on their studies and turn our university into a subordinate place to companies. The university would be a better place to promote students to devote themselves to the study of their major. The purpose of a scholarship system is to enable students to make efforts to be a professional in their major. Therefore, the new scholarship system should be considered carefully. More importantly, the main role of a university as a higher educational institution is not to manufacture laborers but to “create” talented people. What would you rather be, skilled in your major or a skilled job seeker?
By Jang Min, Guest Reporter
Student Column
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