When I was in high school, I pretty much thought that it was a joke. I mean, an “essay” was just a few paragraphs strung together somewhat coherently and then you got an A. They kept emphasizing how important all of this stuff was for university preparation, but I don’t know if I learned anything in high school that I actually used once after I threw my grad cap in the air. (My grad class was so lame only three of us threw our hats — I was so ready to be out of there. I also did not shed a tear when I graduated, I was way too happy to be out of that hell hole.)
When I got to university, however, things changed. The first essay that I got back was a C-. I was crushed, but realized very quickly how differently university life was. While most of my peers probably considered it freedom, I felt nothing but trapped. Suddenly there was no car, no friends, no family even. Just me sharing a small room with someone else.
My first two years of university were pretty much me being really lonely. I got pretty good grades, but I was bored and had to entertain myself quite frequently (thus I joined internet forums, thus I met Mike :D — yay!), and this year I’ve noticed a big change after having a part time job. Suddenly, I’m balancing making money, taking care of an apartment (and my kitty) and throwing schools work and hardcore lessons in the mix. Throw in the added pressure of trying to graduate next year and it all gets really crazy really fast.
But the point I’m getting at here is not how my studying habits have evolved over the years, it more about the people are teaching said learnings. Some teachers really push you to do well, but others just don’t give a damn. I’m having those types of problems this year. They just say “go to it” with very little direction. If I wanted to be self-taught I would not have paid $10 000 per year to come here. I want to be taught, shown, quizzed, and I want to learn. That’s why I came here, and I’m willing to put the time into it if the profs do. It’s always easier to try harder for profs that are there and active in the learning process.
One of my teachers that I have is awesome. She’s currently my neighbor, and I’ve probably mentioned her at least once to anyone reading this. I feel like I’ve disappointed her when I don’t finish an assignment on time, and when I don’t show up to class I feel like I’ve let her down. That’s just the type of teacher she is: she’ll help you out as much as she can, but you know that it really ends with you and the work that you put in. Other teachers, you can try and try but get nowhere because of the lack of support. One teacher I have, who isn’t even a real professor, never uses the whole class time, and wonders why we have no idea what we’re doing and why we don’t remember every little thing that he says. People like that, I don’t know… Why they take jobs to be professors to begin with is beyond me.
It’s just hard to have two jobs, an apartment, and teach yourself things that you’re paying others to do.
Tags: Academia