Just last week, I had two tests on the same day in which the teacher required students to bring their own Scantrons.
I walked to the Student Union to pick some up and when I got to the desk, I was informed they ran out. I then walked over to the bookstore and was yet again disappointed when they were out of the Scantron size I needed.
With 10 minutes left until my test, I ran to Middleton and bought some from the vending machine. The lack of Scantrons on campus inconveniences many students, including myself.
On top of studying, worrying about finding a Scantron before a test adds to students’ stress as they try to maintain their grades. There are only a few places on campus to buy Scantrons.
The University should provide professors with Scantrons so students don’t have to worry about having them at test time. Instead of wasting time finding Scantrons, students would have more time to prepare for exams. Before most in-class exams I have taken, at least one person asks if anyone has an extra Scantron because they forgot or do not have one.
Lack of Scantrons on campus directly impacts students’ grades. Scantrons are great for professors and make grading tests easy — the only problem is the lack of access to them on campus.
The University has a student population of over 30,000 students, yet there are only a few places on campus where Scantrons are available for purchase. Eventually, one of these sites will run out of a certain Scantron size or type, forcing students to scramble around campus attempting to locate one.
For example, when I needed a big Scantron and a small Scantron last week, the vending machine at Middleton only had small ones. I had to buy a whole pack of small Scantrons and then walk to the bookstore to find a big Scantron.
As the student population grows, so will this problem. The solution is to provide more locations and access to Scantrons on campus, or even, mandating the University provide Scantrons to each department at the school.
Each department more or less uses the same kind of Scantrons and Blue Books, so if the University distributed Scantron types by department, it would create more access and efficient distribution.
Another solution would be to have Scantrons available for purchase in various buildings and halls on campus. Having Scantron vending machines in the Business Education Complex, Ag Center and other locations would be the first step.
Overall, the lack of access to Scantrons on campus is a bigger problem than it should be. It is a simple logistical problem that can be easily solved with changes in distribution. Test days are already stressful enough, and students shouldn’t have to worry about finding a Scantron instead of studying.
Max Nedanovich is a 21-year-old mass communication junior from Mandeville, Louisiana.
