As the class of 2011 enters the third week of this semester at SMU, we find ourselves slipping into the routines that signal the beginning of our independence from home. Figuring out what time to set the alarm so that you can wake up for that 8 a.m.class on time, planning the breaks between your classes so you know when you can go grab something to eat or sit down and start on some class work, learning what time is a reasonable hour of the morning to sleep and, most importantly, figuring out when you can check your Facebook, are all vital parts of this routine that we each learn through our own trial and error. For the first time we are completely in control of the day-to-day activities in our own lives.
Now as liberating as that may seem, I have come to observe that perhaps the class of 2011 is not fully ready for the challenge that is “adulthood.” This is evident in two main things I have noticed over these last three weeks.
A shining example of the first happened in one of my classes this past week. While the teacher was amidst changing some overhead slides, a girl in the back of the class raised her hand and asked the question, “So wait, are we actually going to learn anything today?” The stunned silence that ensued did little to hinder the professor, who kept rummaging for his slide, found it and began to lecture again.
While she is a very nice girl who only meant well, it does not excuse her from making the mistake that I believe many of us are starting to make ourselves. Face it guys, and I know this is going to be really hard for some to understand, but we are no longer in highschool. That’s right, I said it. No longer are we living in the days where our education is spoon-fed to us from canned textbook lectures. We are in college now. Say it with me: C-O-L-L-E-G-E. It is up to you to determine just how much you get out of a class (and if anyone has actually looked at the bill we are footing for our time here, I would sincerely hope you would strive to get everything you can out of it).
In order to get the most out of a class, you need to do the actual assigned reading before class, which I know sounds incredibly cliché, but you have no idea how many times before a number of my classes I have heard the question, “So what was the reading about?” Sometimes professors won’t touch on all the information covered in the reading, which is why it is so important for you to read all that is assigned. That way, in case you find yourself not understanding a particular lesson, you can ask the professor, rather than waiting until the night before the midterm or final to realize you have no idea what half the information is.
The second, but equally important, thing I have noticed prevalent among the class of 2011 is our utter lack of time perception. This was most evident in classes where it has become a habit for three to five students to show up anywhere from five to 10 minutes late. Now don’t get me wrong, I am far from perfect. I recently experienced that rush of realizing you have two minutes to get to class, sprinting down the Boulevard at top speed to get to class, panting and out of breath. It’s important to be on time, but things happen sometimes and you might find yourself in a similar situation. But my big issue with the “late student” epidemic is their lack of respect toward the professor and the rest of the class.
Take my own example for instance: walking into class breathing heavily, face streaked with sweat, definitely disrupted the professor’s lecture. However, after class I made it a point to go up to my professor and apologize for being late and disrupting his lesson.
Now by apologize I don’t mean spill out a story how your alarm broke, causing your computer to crash and then how you dropped your cell phone all the while spilling your mocha latte all over yourself. Professors don’t want to hear excuses any more than we want to see Britney Spears shell out another CD. Just a nice simple apology will be in order. Catch those flies with honey, not vinegar, guys.
But don’t surprised if the professor might still mark you down as late, or even absent altogether, depending on what time you decided to finally make an appearance. What is important is showing that you want to be in that class and that you do look to get something out of it. Above all else, you show the professor that you were not intentionally being disrespectful.
While the class of 2011 (much like the football team) is off to a very grim start, it’s important to remember that hope springs eternal. I only ask that each of you step back and ask yourself the million dollar question: “What exactly do I want to get from my time here?”
About the writer:
James Lucente is a first-year double major in international relations and broadcast journalism. He can be reached at [email protected].
