College can be rough. Add to that a job or two, an internship, the delicate balance of a social life, as well as extracurricular activities and a student can easily begin to feel overwhelmed. This is especially true if they are attending traditional day-time college classes for the first time. For this reason, it is imperative that both students and faculty keep a realistic goal in mind when it comes to addressing class workload.
Often when students complain about feeling overwhelmed by particular courses, persons belonging to prior generations are quick to share all of the “back-in-my-day” responses stored in their wheelhouses. While there may be some validity to their claims of would-be superiority, naysayers should try to keep in mind that times have changed, and so have expectations of the average college student.
A degree that once solidified a graduate’s high marketability now has to be accompanied by testaments of community involvement, additional test scores like the GRE, letters of recommendation and at least three years of experience within those fields, just to be considered. The only way to garner that experience is by picking up extracurricular activities that takes up precious time.
Yes, students who complain about having to read 40 pages of a book chock-full of pictures before the next class should look around and realize where they are. They shouldn’t feel emboldened by the silence of their peers sitting next to them because sometimes their peers don’t see what the big deal even is. Sure, assignments aren’t always presented at the most opportune times, but as students we should understand that a substantial amount of material has to be covered in a fast-paced eight or sixteen-week course.
Assignments will be more challenging in comparison to high school and deadlines are not flexible. Yet, this is necessary to keep the class on route to finishing, and aren’t we all excited for classes to be over? I know I’m counting down the days until I graduate, and the only way for that to happen is if classes progress in a timely fashion.
However, I know that as college students we can really be overwhelmed. So, students who are truly inundated should consider addressing their concerns with their faculty and academic advisers. Many professors welcome “come-to-Jesus” moments because they are sincerely interested in the students they teach and may be able to offer feasible solutions. Additionally, academic advisors can assist by helping students figure out what is best for them, whether that be enrolling in fewer courses the next go-around or by suggesting alternative course combinations which aren’t as taxing.
I have been in classes where faculty members did not have realistic expectations of students, so I also know what the other side is like. In fact, while school was canceled this month in preparation and after Hurricane Irma, one of my professors insisted on holding class via email. Needless to say, this was quite a stressful and difficult task given difficulties with power outages and the fact that we were experiencing an actual hurricane.
Demands like these are quite frankly outrageous. I implore professors to sit with their syllabi, remember that students have other responsibilities and decide what can reasonably be accomplished, because sometimes when students complain, it really might be the professor who is being impractical.
