Nathan’s exhaustive account of her re-“immersion” in university life as a student is commendable. It takes a lot of effort to go back to a process that one consciously tries to grow out of both psychologically and physiologically in a bid to be more sophisticated and worldly wise.
The thing that surprised me the most in the book was the revelation of the glaring divide between a student and a faculty’s goals toward education. And, we are more than willing to be mutually deluded about this difference in goals. Nathan presents a vivid description of an American student’s perception of college life. ‘Fun’ is a key factor in learning according to the students. But, in our discussions as instructors, even in Comm 702, don’t we constantly belabor the importance of student engagement, strategies for transformative learning, and a quest for ‘spirited inquiry’ among others? Or is ‘fun’ in learning an urban myth? Here is an eye-opener. Students do not care so much for all these inspirational gestures at this age. That’s why an ‘edgy’ class based on Sexuality with an ‘anti-establishment’ feel wins the votes.
Despite the admirable goal of fostering community and a sense of belonging in the students, American institutions fall short as revealed by Nathan. She attributes this reason to a cornucopia of choices for students across academic courses, student organizations, professional clubs and co-curricular activities. Moreover, the students are free to ‘let go’ if a certain activity or event does not match their interest. This rampant freedom to choose and drop creates a “self-contradictory” system (p. 45) in which the solidarity of a group suffers, as the freedom more than offsets the mission of communal life. This might explain why ‘dropping out’ of college is a more acceptable option in the US as opposed to where I come from, India.
The least surprising part was about students’ attitude toward cheating and plagiarism. Also, the fact that smart students learn to write to their teacher’s biases is fairly predictable. Peer learning is a pretty term. But, peer learning for students is limited to discussing if they read for a class, what grades they got and how a particular assignment ‘sucked’ (apologize for the language).
My advice is related to an international undergrad. I feel that the road can be quite uphill for them at least in the first few semesters. It is a big switch and they are young and impressionable. International students also harbor pre-packaged notions about American life and relationships. When in a foreign country, it does not help to constantly seek one’s comfort zone, food or people of the same ethnicity. International students need to make a conscious attempt at seeking common topics for discussion with American students. Willingness to learn about new things is another positive. While I agree that ethnocentrism is quite prevalent in the US, it still does not help to succumb to it. If people do not know things, educate them. Not everyone will care, but it is possible to find a few who will lend an ear. Moreover, if a student leaves their families behind in the hope of a bright future at an American institution, they had better develop tougher hides and learn to prioritize. It is better to drop that self-pitiful and sulking stance of life being tough for an international student. No one cares for sulking students. Everyone enjoys a smiling foreigner! Yes, it’s not easy, but if one tries, they can actually get to spend Thanksgiving with a ‘friend’s’ boyfriend’s family, that too in their first semester!
Let me be my own advisor here. I am a new instructor. I am also coming to terms with my own pedagogical choices in popular culture representations for my students. My students probably laugh behind my back for showing them clips from ‘thinking bands’ like Switchfoot to explain communication concepts. Maybe, I will get to them better if I play Dr. Dre or Li’l Wayne. It’s not a graduate seminar after all! But, while I admit this challenge, I do not want to give up, just yet. I have a feeling that some kids will come around. Some will get moved by things that I share with them now, in the future.
This book makes me think that college is not about spirited learning of life’s big mysteries through those tomes in the library. That’s an aim for graduate students like us, who come back to school with vengeance. College life is at best a four year rigorous management drill which ‘smart’ students tend to master by the time they become seniors. It is about getting everything done while maintaining the 'fun' status quo. Life does not get altered in those ‘Into the Wild’ kind of ways for an average college student. College is a place to make mistakes and use those mistakes later, to lead a safe life in the real world.
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