Examinations are in full swing and students are either preparing to pass their exams fairly, preparing to cheat, preparing to fail or failing to prepare. I have never had the desire or need to cheat in an exam. If I’m not prepared, then I accept the possibility of failing. Unfortunately not all share this view as attempts to cheat in exams at UWI is ridiculously frequent. During my undergraduate years I never thought it was possible to effectively cheat. Exams are carefully monitored as invigilators search students upon entry to prevent the smuggling of electronics, paperwork etc and vigilantly walk around during the examination. Students are also not allowed to write on ny part of their bodies before or after starting the examination and are not allowed to leave the room unchaperoned once the examination has started. This sounds like a pretty solid cheater proof way of conducting exams. But students still attempt to cheat, most, unsuccessfully. It was not until I started invigilating exams that I realize how clever some students are with regards to cheating.
How Medical Sciences Students Cheat
It is well-known that the medical sciences (MBBS) program repeats the multiple choice papers yearly so incoming medical sciences students can benefit from having all the answers ahead of time. Some students memorize the questions and answers and record them then pass them down to the newer students the following year. In an attempt to minimize new students having the questions ahead of time, no student is allowed to leave the exam room with the question paper. I don’t believe that passing on the questions to newer students is cheating! It is the duty of the lecturers to make changes to the examinations yearly. That would solve a simple issue.
So how do they cheat in examinations? Well one of the duties of an invigilator is to chaperone students who need to use the bathroom. It has been noted however that med students use the bathroom significantly more than any other group of students on campus. At times one student will use the bathroom as much as 6 times during a 2 hour examination. Ridiculous! It has been determined that this is done to have the invigilators distracted to allow classmates to collude and quickly share answers. Very clever.
Last week I caught red-handed a student who has mastered the art of cheating in examinations at UWI. A student sitting the course “PHTH****” used the strategy that would easily fool any inexperienced invigilator. At the start of the examination she saw me approaching her desk and asked me if I could throw away her apple remnants. Not pleased with her request I requested that she wait until I could get some paper towels as her saliva and my hand would certainly not make direct contact. While she waited I signed the receipts I had but she couldn’t wait so she asked another invigilator. By the time I was done signing I noticed her unnecessarily ‘doing her hair’ while she peeked over at her colleagues multiple choice paper. I figured it was a ‘one-time-peek’ so I ignored it. I noticed she kept asking invigilators to do things for her whenever they were nearby and as soon as they left she would take another peek. I went to her area to monitor the situation and that was when another invigilator told me he saw her looking at her classmates paper while she ‘fixed’ he hair. She saw me close by and still made attempts to copy. For the duration of the exam her question paper was fixed on one page, yet she was answering all the questions. Strange! She saw that I was a potential threat and wanted me out of her space. She called me and reminded me that she had asked me to throw away her apple remnants! Mind you, another invigilator had already taken care of this! It was at this point I decided to make permanent residence in her presence and stood between her and her classmate, blocking the path to her future, covering the light at the end of the tunnel, crushing her hopes and dreams. This didn’t make her happy so immediately she had a flu, forcing a sneeze and trying to unblock a stuffy nose. She asked me to get her some paper towel. I stood firm as I told her to wait. I had another invigilator take my place after a quick nonverbal update and I went for the paper towel. I then had her moved to another seat and suddenly she could answer no question on the paper, she was the first person to leave the exam room.
Upon further inquiries I found out this wasn’t her first attempt to cheat. In another exam two weeks ago she brought a sanitary napkin in a clear plastic bag along with her stationery. During the examination she asked a male invigilator to take her to the bathroom. She took out the sanitary napkin in the exam room and took it to the bathroom where she ‘made the change’. The time taken to make the change, the sound of paper in the bathroom and her refusal to wash her hands (even after it was noted) led us to become suspicious of her actions. Who changes a sanitary napkin in the middle of a 2 hour exam? Not before, not after, during!
These events have led to planned changes which will prevent this, but her effort to cheat was the most significant I have seen in a UWI exam. It takes too much work to cheat though, it make more sense to invest efforts in preparation.
I love the Google Maps app, it works like a charm. But what if you could attach a video of a route? This would be a welcomed addition and I know there is ‘Street View’ but that too has its limitations. What if we all could contribute a video of a route which expires in about a year so each available video is representative of current infrastructure, road rules, pot holes etc? What if we had the option of watching a route before a journey? It would be cool to add a feature which allows you to play the video while you drive, at the speed you are driving. A video which would pause when you stop and resume when you go.
This is just an idea I had, practical or not, I know it would help me. I had to take some people somewhere for work but had no idea where to find the location. Naturally, Google Maps. I tested the route a day before the journey because if we got lost on the day of the event, it could spell disaster. I missed a turn, which we would on the day of the event had I not done a test run. I eventually found the location so Google Maps worked, but if a video of the route was available I wouldn’t have to waste my time with a test run.
So I got myself a dash cam so in the event of an accident there will be a record and I also want to get a much cheaper insurance next year… cause boi! Comprehensive insurance for a young (but not so young) man, is incomprehensible. I attached my Samsung MV800 to the dash cam’s mount and I made my first route video, see below:
Driving In Jamaica: UWI Mona To Half Way Tree via Hope Road
If you are a student at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, then certainly you have been receiving emails regarding your lecturer evaluations. To increase the rate of lecturer evaluations, UWI has, in the past made offers to reward lucky student evaluators. I can no longer evaluate lecturers but instead I need to sign the dreadful supervisors reports. When I did evaluations, the class representative would give us the forms to complete just before or after the professor being evaluated delivers the lecture. Now, all that is done online. Progress. However the offering of prizes and the frequency at which emails are sent encouraging students to complete evaluation forms online indicate that students are just not evaluating the lecturers.
Why Not? Let us evaluate the reasons.
Students are just not interested.
Its flogging a dead horse. Many students, myself included don’t believe any action is taken post lecturer evaluations. I remember in my first year there was a particular lecturer that we absolutely despised. The lecturer was very wicked, but I won’t get in to the details of their exploits. We were asked to evaluate said lecturer and based on the information I gathered literally everyone gave the lecturer the lowest score (1 out of 5). Others drew a circle beside the box with one and drew a zero inside before shading it. This was a little extreme but it emphasizes the students disapproval of the lecturer. I was alarmed to see just a few years later a promotion was approved for the lecturer. There were also cases where lecturers were given maximum points but have not been rewarded accordingly. Politics. So what is the purpose of these evaluations if sanctions and rewards are not issued accordingly.
Incorrect method of encouraging compliance. Each student uses the online learning environment set up by UWI. To encourage students to evaluate lecturers, they may incorporate a pop-up which forces students to complete the form before accessing their learning tools. 100% compliance guaranteed.
If these suggestions are addressed, then only improvements will results.
If you have been following this blog, you know that my opinions may not support that of the majority as I dare to be different. With that said, I agree with the concept of ragging.
When I was just about 12 years old I was afraid to enter high school because of all the stories I heard. I believed that occasionally I would be given a dollar by one of the bigger boys, to buy a patty, cocoa bread and a soft drink for him, with the expectation that I would promptly return with the items along with two dollars in change. You don’t need to be a Mathematician to know that’s not possible, but this is just one example of the terrifying norms for which I mentally and financially prepared myself. I daily left most of my lunch money at home. I was very disappointed when I got to high school and went home with all my money in my pocket. I was very disappointed that I did not have the privilege to wine one on the great ‘Puncie’. I was even more disappointed to see the poor representation of ‘Puncie’, which lacked the appropriate man-made receptacle which would give a more realistic feel to the ‘Puncie process’.
When I became a senior I didn’t want the poor new students to be tortured with the disappointment I experienced. I wanted them to have a memorable experience during their first few years of high school. What I did to assure this, is something we may discuss outside the confines of this blog.
Now UWI
I was worried about ragging at UWI because of the terrifying stories my uncle told me regarding the induction process for Block Veteran, Irvine Hall. As such, along with other reasons I opted for off campus accommodation. I experienced no ragging, and I was isolated from the culture of the University for the first two years of my tenure. I always felt that I was missing something and I didn’t even perform as well as I could have as I didn’t feel comfortable at the University. You know, little country boy can be a real fish out of water when he comes to town, I was drowning. With the desire to become the ‘ideal UWI graduate’, I chose to reside at the mighty A.Z Preston Hall. Though a final year student, I volunteered to be ragged. I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I was literally being ragged by my classmates.
I built a bond with the residents, both new and old, due to the ragging process, that will last a lifetime. Waking up at 5 a.m to join lines, calling older residents ‘Super Senior Sirs’, and answering to whatever name I was assigned, was totally worth it. I became a more confident person and a better leader. I also recognized that even though I was much more involved in the UWI life, my grades were much improved.
For a new student entering the University I understand it can be a little terrifying but when it is over they generally recognize the incredible impact it has on their University experience. But while ragging is ‘good’ it must be controlled. Physically harming junior students may have an effect that is contrary to the aim of the interaction.
The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus has made a move to eradicate ragging during the orientation process. This will surely suffocate the spirit and vibe of the campus and I am not in agreement with that move. Controlled ragging is the best option in my view. While the orientation ragging has predominantly stopped, in block induction continues and is still quite intense in the traditional halls. It creates some serious levels of patriotism in residents. It is important to note that the University ‘presence’ of residents in these halls is quite pronounced and they become significant leaders in the Caribbean society. Unfortunately, block induction is only done in the few traditional halls on campus. I do hope this will change soon.
It has been four years since I left the prosperous A.Z Preston Hall and there I was, walking around the campus, minding my own business, viewing the young girls as they pass by in short shorts and purchased hair when out of nowhere, “CAT…CAT”. Without hesitation I turned around “Waa gwaan boss”. It was a name I identified, a name I embraced proudly, despite its meaning. ‘Cat’ is my hall name, most persons I lived in hall with, don’t know my name but will never forget ‘Cat’, ‘Puss’, and the vast array of variations thereof.
During orientation periods seniors in hall, along with Resident Advisors create programs to assist new students to become ‘acclimatized’ to the university space and to develop beneficial interpersonal relationships. During the orientation process, new students are assigned new names. Names which symbolize a new beginning, and the opportunity they are given to be whomever they want. These names are usually based of a feature that defines the student (past experience, physical attribute, personality trait etc). They are usually made after a series of questionings by the seniors and are usually meant to be funny or embarrassing. This makes it much easier to remember persons’ names. It is a tradition for seniors not to mention the meaning of their names and names which are apparently really nice may actually have really awful meanings.
Let us look at some examples
I met a strange character from Chancellor Hall who goes by the name Nyamio.
There is a young lady from Rex called FD (foundation Course). Is there anyone on campus who has never done a foundation course? Can you guess the meaning of her name?
A student was asked to lick the pubic area of a statue, he was called Chawclit.
There is a young lady called N.E.R.D -‘For I have Never Ever Received a D*#K’.
A young man called Pinky – ‘For I can only tickle’.
A young lady called Brains – ‘For Pinky takes over my world when he tickles me’
Other names include
Tampon
Pole
Flash
Vex
Parunga
Obama
Plough
Shy
List goes on…
Hall names at times become so meaningful that it is embraced decades later and may even be the preferred name for general us. Dr.Knife? So what are your thought? Do you agree with the naming process? Do you have a hall name? tell me the name and meaning in the comment section below.
Since the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus offered ten (10) unique halls of residence to students. Being a full-time, apparently life long UWI student, I have had the opportunity to reside in a number of these halls. In no particular order, I have resided in the AZ Preston Hall, Elsa Leo Rhyne Hall, Marlene Hamilton Hall and the new hall by 138 student living (Leslie Robinson Hall). I have also spent many nights in the other halls so I am very familiar with the offerings of each. Each hall selects unique colors, animals or symbols to identify themselves and they compete in various activities throughout the school year. Residents of each hall are acculturated to believe their hall is the best place to live. It is this belief that gives rise to strong rivalry.
The UWI tries to accommodate as much persons in campus as is possible. This is not just for security but living in hall makes facilitating student’s development a lot easier. Programs are implemented in hall which allows students to grow as leaders, they encourage networking and make the UWI experience so much more enjoyable. Having activities outside of the class room not only guarantees the maintenance of sanity but encourages better academic performance. Now with over 16000 students at the university and just under 3000 rooms available, there must be a way to filter students so that those who would be most beneficial to the hall are given the opportunity to reside in the hall. With such a privilege students are usually expected to support the hall’s activities in order to be offered a room for the following school year. But which hall is the absolute best hall to live in at the UWI campus? I will try to be as objective as I can as I describe the features of each hall below.
ABC (Alston Barry Chevannes) Hall
At only 5 years old ABC Hall is among the newer halls. It is an old nurses residence which now boasts the best place to buy food on campus. Like the newer halls the residents are placed on floors based on gender. Each resident has a room and members of the floor share a kitchen and bathroom.
The hall is making small strides where popularity is concerned but still has a long way to go. The hall is the furthest from the most frequently visited places on campus as it is the only hall on the hospital compound. They are actively competing in sporting events but so far have not distinguished themselves as beating them is usually as easy as… ABC?
The hall colors are orange and grey
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
ABC (all single rooms) = $214,120
AZ Preston Hall
The AZ Preston Hall was established in 1995. The motto for the hall is; ‘relentless pursuit of excellence’.
By far AZ Preston Hall is the most visually appealing hall in campus. The well groomed landscape and brilliant design of the buildings makes the atmosphere feel like living in a villa or hotel. Residents are very friendly and never fail to greet each other. The hall conveys a culture of togetherness and the warm spirit of the sharks really take a bite out of the stressful life at school.
The hall is separated into 13 clusters, each having approximately 25 residents. Each cluster is again separated into 4 households. A kitchen and dining area is shared among 6 or 7 residents. There is a complete bathroom downstairs in each household and a toilet upstairs. Each room also has a face basin inside. A feature unique to AZ Preston hall. The 13 clusters are separated into 4 zones for in hall competition with each zone having its own color and chants. The hall is known to be among the most vibrant, with good support and creative hall songs.
The hall symbol is a shark and the color is purple.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
Single rooms = $220,480
Double rooms = $186,030
See images below:
Chancellor Hall
Chancellor Hall is the all male brother hall of the all female Mary Seacole Hall. Chancellor Hall is one of the traditional halls and though the population is very small, their presence is felt around the entire campus.
The residents of Chancellor Hall are generally conceited and use very aggressive approach to attract female students. They strongly endorse heterosexuality while they refuse to accept openly effeminate males.
The hall is separated into blocks each block has a kitchen and bathroom which are shared among the 38 members of that block. Like all the traditional halls, first year students are exposed to block induction which allows them to be accepted into the brotherhood.
The hall symbol is a lion and the hall colors are black and gold.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
All single rooms = $202,990
Block X = $269,240
See images below:
Elsa Leo Rhynie(Towers) Hall
Towers hall opened its doors in 2012 and is already a force with which other halls struggle to contend. The halls vibrant spirit and aggressive competitiveness is a direct result of the effort of the hall’s administration.
The hall is composed of 5 towers each having 5 floors and 23 residents for each floor. Each floor has 2 large bathrooms and 1 kitchen with dining area. Though each resident gets their own room, integration is certainly needed at the Towers hall.
The hall symbol is a wolf and the color is red
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
Single rooms = $247,510
Double rooms = $210,410
See images below:
Irvine Hall
Motto: ‘Know thyself’
Irving Hall is the oldest hall in campus currently, and may be on its way to retirement. The hall is named after the chairman of the founding committee of the University and was built in 1950.
The hall is composed of 7 blocks, housing 280 residents and is the only hall with a hall way (spine) running through the entrance of each block. each block has a kitchen and 2 bathrooms , shared among residents of the block. Both males and females are able to rent shared or single rooms.
The hall is well known to be very boring where competitiveness is concerned. Though the home to many top athletes, the hall fails to gather representative support for most events. The hall is however known for its strict block induction process.
The hall symbol is a torch and the hall colors are green and yellow
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
Single rooms = $202,990
Double rooms = $171,720
See image below:
Marlene Hamilton Hall (‘Post grad’)
Marlene Hamilton is most often called ‘postgrad’ simply because it was initially built to accommodate graduate students. The hall opened in 2012,when I just became a graduate of the UWI. They started accepting just about anyone who was willing to pay as the cost was a deterrent for most graduate students. The hall is composed of 4 six storey blocks, each having a maximum capacity of 100 residents.
When I lived in this hall I didn’t even know my neighbor’s name. I assumed it was a female based on the sounds I heard coming from her room as she made the beast with two backs roar. There was no culture in hall, just total solitude. It could be compared to renting an apartment off campus in a gated community. This may be fine for graduate students, but if undergraduates are living there as well, they may not have the opportunity to develop the qualities that defines a UWI graduate.
A recent move has seen the implementation of an attempt to encourage student development. To date the hall has no symbol or color.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
Studio = $39,600 Per Month. With A/C $64,600 Per Month
Super Studio = $44,600 Per Month. With A/C $76,400 Per Month
See images below:
Mary Seacole Hall
Mary Seacole Hall is the only all female hall on campus. It is one of the traditional halls and it opened in 1958. This hall is the sister hall to the all male Chancellor hall.
Mary Seacole hall has the highest level of security of all the halls in campus. It is often times refered to as ‘the prison’. The hall has a large concentration of christian girls and it is quite clear that the hall supports the conservative lifestyle.
The hall symbol is whatever happens when a pelican mates with a duck. They call it a ‘peliduck’. The hall colors are black and white
The total accommodation fee for 2015-2016 is:
Single rooms = $202,990
Double rooms = $171,720
See images below:
Behind these prison walls…
Rex Nettleford Hall
Rex Nettleford Hall, the largest hall in campus, occupies almost 800 students. The hall opened in 2002. It’s hard to think that just over a decade ago Rex Nettleford hall was the new kid on the block. So many halls have been erect since then, that UWI is now an impregnable fortress of student housing.
The hall is divided among 8 clusters each occupying approximately 94 students. Despite having the largest number of students, Rex’s involvement in inter-hall activities is mediocre. They are seldom able to gather enough support and the competitive spirit often observed in the traditional halls is lacking.
Rex Nettleford hall is very liberal and accepts just about everyone. Students of differing cultural backgrounds can live there comfortably without the feeling of discrimination. (You guys know exactly what I mean here.)
The hall symbol is a T-rex and their colors are maroon and gold.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
All single rooms = $240,620
See images below:
Taylor Hall
Taylor hall, named after the first principal, opened in 1953 and still stands strong today. Taylor hall is known for its aggression and sporting excellence. The residents adapt a culture which makes them more assertive, bold yet fully adapted to communal living. The hall because of its relaxed rules, squatting and raw vibe, is often referred to as the’ghetto hall’. “It is alleged that Taylor hall isn’t actually a hall at all, given it’s residents are sleeping on walls, in desperate need if beds.” Rephrased words of a popular hall song, with the best rendition coming from the AZ Preston hall.
Each male is offered a single room while females are offered double rooms. The hall has a flat attached where senior female Taylorites my rent single rooms, of course at a much higher cost. There are 3 female blocks called Excellencia, Falconia and Galaxia respectively. Conversely there are 4 male blocks called Stallion Republic, Butchers, Roosters and Attica. Each block has a bathroom and a kitchen which is shared by the entire block.
The hall symbol is a pelican and their color is blue.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
Single rooms = $202,990
Double rooms = $171,720
See images below:
The New Leslie Robinson Hall
Just a few months old and the Leslie Robinson Hall has achieved much popularity. With a predominantly regional cohort, the Leslie Robinson Hall possesses the most substantial mixture of cultural diversity.
The hall, being new does not yet have a defined culture, but it is alleged that the spirit and uniqueness of the Leslie Robinson Hall, will rise from nothing, dust, ash, to dominate the entire UWI Mona campus. We will be observing the development as time progresses.
Each 6 floor block of the hall accommodates 144 students. Each floor has 2 flats parallel to each other, each being a duplicate of the other. A flat accommodates 12 residents, each having their own room and bathroom. The kitchen and ‘common’ areas are shared among the 12 residents. The ‘common’ area has dining tables, chairs, couches, ceiling fans and cable television! Each room is equip with its own mini fridge.
Another very unique feature of the hall is the laundry room, operated by an outsourced company which offers much more services in comparison to all the other halls. You may book a wash load using whatsapp and you are also notified of a completed wash using the same medium. Their popular VIP service allows you to pay for a wash, simply leave your dirty clothes and pick up your clean,folded clothes later. They also offer ironing services at a cost. While these services are great, they are not cheapest available.
The total accommodation fee for 2016-2017 is:
All single rooms = $50,560 Per Month (or USD 395)
See images below:
Each hall is unique and while the ideal hall doesn’t currently exist, the best hall to live in may be a little subjective. It depends on your persona and the type of experience and development you want to achieve from your experience at the UWI Campus.
I am granting you the opportunity to participate in the selection. Vote below for the hall you believe is the best hall to live in based on infrastructure, opportunities, networking and the development programs offered.
The Leslie Robinson Hall by 138 Student living
Under construction, scheduled to be opened in August.
