Effort Based or Academic Based?

After receiving my year one, first semester results, I was disappointed with the results that I have for one of my subjects. This subject requires us to do 2 weekly reflections: one on the lecture, another on the book. Except for one week, I never miss to hand-in any of my reflections on time. At the end of the day, I got a B+ for that subject. I thought it was alright. But when I got to know certain people got an A- for that subject, I began to question the marking system in STM. I question because of the character of the person who got that result: always rushing assignment in the last minute. I try my best not to compare, but recently the negative feeling was so strong in me.

I admit my English is not that best, do not have solid reasoning skills, and I do not have the ability to make argument or debate, or may I say, twisting facts. But in every assignment, I put all the effort that I can; try my best to reason beyond my ability; read more books that I can. But, sometimes, or perhaps, the school does not recognized this; those who do last minute assignments; it can be one night before the due dates; or sometime taken lecturer's grace for granted, can get higher marks than those who put a lot of effort in it! I can understand if it is only one or two assignments you did that. But if you do it in every semester for every paper, I think the school seriously need to think about this.

This is not the character formation that a seminary should produced. To be minister of God, we need discipline in serving. If the students can do this in seminary, and yet is not being told that they have discipline issue, I think, then they will have problem after they graduated from the seminary: preparing last minute sermon, only read the Bible when preaching day is approaching, and etc. If the seminary's vision is to equip God's people for ministry and mission, then I think the seminary should be able to identify the people, and take action on them.

I encounter only one lecturer that will judge our assignments based on our effort. Being an 'A'- student does not mean that you are a good minister and justify your pastoral hearts in the field. Excuses like, "I only can do my works last minute when there is pressure on me" is not valid at all!

I think our works should be evaluated based on effort too. If I've been evaluated on purely academic, I think I will not be able to achieve the requirements here. This is the hidden curriculum that we have to learn while doing the works of God including study: paying all effort in this studying ministry.

Servus Servorum Dei

Isaac