Can You COMPrehend What I'm Saying?

Can You COMPrehend What I'm Saying?

          What kind of test takes two days for the written portion and takes one hour for orals? The answer is: senior comprehensive exams at Bethany College.  Many students are fearful about taking comps, and have many questions about them. To get the facts, interviews were conducted with two teachers, Dr. Gary Kappel and Dr. Walt Turner. Senior Bethany student Eric McCarthy also contributed.

           Each professor was first asked the most basic question - how are questions for oral comprehensives developed?  Dr. Turner replied, “Well, if it’s an English comp, I have read the [student’s written] exams and so I’ll formulate questions from the exam.”

         Dr. Kappel answered similarly.  “If it is in my discipline I will have read the [student’s] writtens and that will give me a hint on something I want to ask. Perhaps if a student stumbled on a question or did particularly well”

         Next, each professor was asked what comps are designed to do.  Dr. Kappel said, “It forces the students to stop and look back on what they have learned over the past 4 years." Dr Turner responded, “Comps are about synthesizing information, so it’s not just your major but the entire liberal arts experience that the student is being called to reflect on. It involves the habits of mind that you have developed across the curriculum: such as curiosity, flexibility, openness, critical thinking - these habits of mind themselves; that is more important to me than the content.” 

         So, basically oral comps are to prepare the students to think on their feet and not to have any real expectations about what is going to be asked. This might be similar to and in preparation for a job interview.

          Dr. Kappel and Dr. Turner each stated that the failure rate for comps is low. They noted that students’ advisors will let students know if they are not ready to take comps, and students may put them off until they are better prepared.

          Comps can be taken in January or May of the senior year. Each of the teachers noted that there is no difference in the failure rate, although one advantage to taking comps in January may be that if a student fails in January, he or she can take comps again in May.

           Senior Eric McCarthy, who sucessfully passed comps in January, 2013, gives some advice to calm future comp-ers.  He remarked that he had not been worried about comps because he had taken good notes.  He said, "When taking comps, the main thing to focus on is making sure you answer every question to the fullest and not leave anything out.  Be sure to stay the entire time and re-read your answers." 

          Hopefully, you now have a better understanding about what to expect when taking senior comprehensives.  There is no need to be afraid as long as you are prepared.  Relax and join all alumni in the tradition of taking comps which will be excellent preparation for your future.

References

Dr. Gary Kappel, Professor, Bethany College

Dr. Walt Turner, Professor, Bethany College    

Eric McCarthy, Student, Bethany College