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Author page: khaoula jraif

HomeAuthor page: khaoula jraif
November 26, 2022 0Comments 8069Views

Should Universities Start Early in The Morning?

It is said that the early bird catches the worm; but does that apply to university students?

As we all know, schools and universities all over the world start generally between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. Throughout our academic journey, all of us had to wake up and get ready at least an hour before 8:30AM for our classes. However, as we get older, our sleeping schedule becomes irregular which results in many complaints coming from university students stating that late classes are far more convenient and beneficial than early morning classes.

A study conducted in 1998 by Dr. Wolfson and Dr. Carskadon says that university students who reported poor grades claimed to be getting 25 fewer minutes of sleep than the students who reported getting higher grades. Another study from the University of Minnesota confirmed that later school start times can have a positive effect on academic performance. Investigators studied two school districts that changed their start times to 8:30AM and 8:40AM. When compared with students attending schools with earlier start times, the students reported getting higher grades. They also had fewer depressing feelings, got more sleep on school nights and had less daytime sleepiness. In addition, a recent study from RAND Europe shows that delaying school start times is cost-effective. Results suggest that starting school later could have a positive impact on the country’s economy.

All of the above mentioned studies confirm the link between later school start times and better grades, higher test scores, improved focus among university students, as well as a positive impact on the country’s economy. That’s especially important because discipline problems may lead to suspension, which is associated with a wide range of negative health and economic outcomes and is a major cause of educational inequity.

However, with all of these advantages that are definitely valid, some drawbacks cannot be ignored. For example, transportation challenges. Later start times will likely mean more buses on the road later in the day, this could create more traffic and increase travel delays. Furthermore, students who have part-time jobs may have scheduling conflicts as a result of this, which can lead to poor attendance and therefore poor grades.

Overall, later start times for universities can be a double edge sword since it improves students’ academic performance but it can create some transportation and work schedule conflicts as well. However, these problems can likely be solved with flexibility and thoughtful planning.

Khaoula Jraif

Semester 3, Department of English Studies

Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida

November 15, 2022 0Comments 8235Views

Traditional Libraries vs. Digital Libraries

Neil Gaiman, one of the greatest fiction authors, said:” Google can bring you back 100 000 answers, a library can bring you back the right one “.

As online learning becomes more common and more resources are converted to digital form, some people have suggested that public libraries should be shut down; instead, everyone should use e-readers. While others disagree and claim that libraries are fundamental and should not be closed.

Both the internet and the library are considered to be a big depository of information. A library can be defined as a collection or group of collections of books and other print or non-print materials organized and maintained for use. While the internet is defined as an electronic network providing access to millions of resources worldwide. Both of them seem to serve the same purpose but as the world moves to new inventions and directions, the question whether the internet/e-reading is going to replace libraries arises.

Generally, replacing libraries with tablets would be a serious mistake. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning than print resources. A study done on tablet vs. book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches and eyestrain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more health issues as shoulders and back pain, and muscle strain. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Proponents of the idea that libraries should be shut down, state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book, they can simply click on what they want and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books, they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need. However, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits including providing jobs, keeping the community connected and so on…

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

Khaoula Jraif

Semester 3, Department of English Studies

Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida

November 14, 2022 0Comments 8223Views

Privacy Vs. Transparency

They say ” lack of transparency results in distrust and deep sense of insecurity”.

But they also say “Privacy is power, what people don’t know cannot be ruined”. Since the creation of the internet, classified government information is slowly leaking to the public and sites, such as WikiLeaks, reveal a darker image of governmental decisions. With that being said, some people support WikiLeaks highlighting the necessity of government transparency. While others oppose it stating that it will threaten military operations and diplomatic relations. Both sides turn out to reveal some kind of concern towards the safety of citizens, and this can be attained by creating some limits and regulations regarding the leaks of this site.

Many civil right organizations have so far openly supported WikiLeaks. The reasoning behind their support is based on the fair rules and justified functionality of democracy and civil society. If secrecy of administrative documents is used to cover the government misbehavior, there must be legal grounds to overcome formal boarders of secrecy. However, several governmental officials state that WikiLeaks harmed diplomatic relations and put the lives of staff in sensitive positions at risk, it could even threaten military operations and that may put the country in jeopardy. For example, the biggest leak WikiLeaks has ever released were some US military documents from the Afghan and Iraq war.

While the goal of those who support WikiLeaks is to achieve transparency, democracy, a civil society and also to reveal the dark truth of governmental misbehavior. On the contrary, the other side’s purpose is to protect the secrecy of governments in order not to harm the diplomatic relations. It seems that both sides are concerned about the safety of citizens as they express the need of maintaining a good relationship between the government and the public. Therefore, these two opposing views wish the best for the country but in two different approaches.

Since both perspectives care about the interest of citizens, the best solution that will satisfy them is to establish some regulations and rules concerning the leaks of WikiLeaks. For instance, it would be credible if the website created a policy regarding rumors; all information should be examined in advance. Furthermore, the leaked information should be both important for citizens still not threatening to the government. This way, the public will not be fed up with false news and the government will be safe from any crises.

Overall, as one side advocates for the government to be transparent and the other for its secrecy, one thing both have in common is the desire for a safe civil country. The way to solve that, as it was mentioned, is to create rules and regulations governing the leaks of the website WikiLeaks, which is in my opinion the best way to achieve public security and peace.

Khaoula Jraif

Semester 3, Department of English Studies

Chouaib Doukkali University, El Jadida

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