Whether it is finals week or just Friday after school, all Benilde-St. Margaret’s students need to take tests. Classroom or library, everyone has a preference for how they like to take them. Some students need silence with no distractions. Some students are not as picky and don’t mind a little noise here and there.
“I like it when the room is really quiet, and there aren’t many distractions, and there are some windows for natural light,” senior Ava Swanson said.
Most students have the same opinions as Swanson about testing; they enjoy a quiet environment and being in a space that feels open and comfortable. On the other hand, one of the spots that gets criticized the most by BSM students is the testing center itself. Many would assume this would be the ideal spot to take a test, but that is not the case. Students say that there are many distractions, along with a negative vibe in the library where they take tests. When students were asked where the worst spot is to take a test at BSM, some spoke about the testing center. “I would say the testing center. I feel like the whole vibe in that room is really negative and seems like it’s really an unhappy place to be,” senior Estella Tornquist said.
Why is the testing box such a bad place to take a test? Well, according to students, at BSM, there are constantly people going in and out of the library, making it very distracting to take a test. Especially during times like finals week or at the end of the quarter, many kids are trying to take tests, and it completely takes away from a quiet and stable environment. “I’d say the testing box is not my favorite, because sometimes there are people in there talking and it’s a little loud, so the library is not always a great option,” senior Charlie Moe said.
Students have some ideas on how to make the testing box a better spot to take a test. One would have the actual test taking not happen in a public open area and right by a door. Doing a change as small as moving the testing center to the other side of the library, away from the door, would take away some of that distraction of people constantly going in and out of the library. In contrast to this, testing could also be offered in another room, so it is completely separate from the people who want to study, read, or get English help in the library.
Lastly, another small problem people are running into is the organization of the testing box itself. Students state that the test box can get very chaotic on busy days. With tests not always making it in the box or back to the classroom, there must be an easier way. If students could add tests online or have some control in sending tests to the box, that would help keep things effective for students who are eager to get their tests back. The environment in the box can feel very negative, and students feel that they are out of control and have done something wrong.