Egelion

[Louis]

---

The end of the academic semester can be a very difficult time for students. Throughout the city, we witness coffee shops full, parks at capacity, and students cramming inside libraries to check out that final book. This sense of urgency, of stress, and of academic excellence is exacerbated by the Real Academia, who have set educational standards throughout the nation. These standards set in place graduation requirements, requirements for foreign students, and the necessary courses needed to get an accredited degree from one of Egelion’s many universities. Here at the University of Norterra, requirements and restrictions are at their strictest. Requirements at the university of Norterra are strict of course, but for good reason: it remains Egelion’s top university and one of the most popular locations to study following the decline of Lourenne. With over 12,000 applications each year, Norterra only accepts a third of that. A beacon of excellence and research, the university’s stringent and often stressful rigor gives students an unreal amount of expectations. When does it become unhealthy to continue increasing the rigor of students.

Johan Marquez from Borianoburgo explains his situation on expectations and his impact on his life. Johan is a second-year student studying Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the College of Medicines and Sciences.

JM: It often feels like I forget myself y’know? I go to my small apartment, take out the books, make some matcha and start my studies. I’ll study and work till the sun goes down. It’s a beautiful sight here in Norterra that really goes underappreciated, really. I might travel to La Gotica a few blocks away for a late night espresso--decaf of course, my classes are at 8 in the morning.  Everyday is a test really: “Will I pass?” “Will I fail?” “Do I even understand this work?” It is a lot of mental gymnastics to even realize that I am studying for myself. My expectations are high, but man let me tell you… When I see those good grades? When do I get praised by my professors? Nothing can beat that high. I guess at the end it’s all worth it for me.

Montserrat Andreu from Norderms travels to Norterra as a commuter on the nation’s rail system. She travels about 90 minutes each way everyday. Her experiences shaped her into a stronger woman, ready for any challenge.

 

MA: Yea? So I travel almost two hours everyday, big deal. It gives me time to finish my essays and turn in some work. I take the high speed from Norderms to the city. Lovely seat cushioning, awful drink selection. When I get to the city, I have about an hour before I get to class, so I go hang out at La Font de Carmela, a beautiful fountain park. I stop and get some of my favorite Pa amb tomàquet with Helios olive oil. I go to class and spend HOURS in the library checking out books and just taking time to study. I basically spend my day in Norterra. I obviously have a busy schedule, but listen, it doesn’t bother me. It empowers me. Yeah, I want to rip my hair out sometimes, but it’s going to make me stronger at the end of the day. If I can’t make it in Norterra, I won’t be of use in this country. We strive for excellence and endured years of difficulty. I need to do what I can and succeed with what I’m given. Nobody else is doing it for me. So again tell me, is it rigor that’s the issue? Or are we not used to succeeding in this country?

Academic rigor and the high expectations of Egelian education institutions are indeed very high. The expectations begin in primary school and reach their course in post-secondary,  but several questions linger when analyzing the usefulness of rigor and expectations: are they really a necessity? Some may argue that rigor is needed to achieve a certain academic level to help the nation, others believe that high rigor causes mental health issues and often, does the opposite of its intended purposes. Examples of high rigor and lower mental health are found in Lourenne, whose population was dug into the ground thanks to the extremely high standards the country adopted. It needn't be that way. Academic excellence and rigor coexist and should be balanced to produce capable students. Why do standards matter when freshly graduated students have no stamina or endurance to take on the stressors of a highly developed society? It is indeed imperative for institutions to balance rigor and expectations. Sometimes, less is more. We must continue to improve our standards in the field of education by introducing new methods of learning and teaching. There is space to improve our methodology and pedagogy, but no space to decline. We must not forget that we are humans--not machines. 

--