I guess the most surprising aspect of this book, for me, is that there are professors out there who give students their phone numbers, that it seems to be a regular practice to give students outline notes from their lectures, and that dormitories have evolved to be like modern apartments all in order to please more students and attract them to the universities. The part about students wanting to be entertained is true. During my lectures, students need to take notes. At the end of the lecture, I pull up images, either on transparencies or on the computer. I am expecting them to listen to me while I point out the structures that I had just gone over. For some reason, I am expecting them to write things down. Well, the second I turn down the lights and turn on the projector, they are putting their books away in their backpacks and sitting back to watch the slide show. Sometimes, I’ll write something on the board to define a vocabulary term and then they are scrambling to take out their notebooks and write it down!
I was not surprised at all about the lack of participation in community activities. I am also not surprised that students do not like the required freshmen seminar as this is the same at NDSCS. Students are bombarded with different groups to join and clubs to be in and need to focus on their classes all at the same time. And, the majority, it seems, want to be involved with a party culture and hanging out and just enjoying college freedom. The students, in general, want to focus more on the “fun times” in college life and less on academia. I was also not surprised about the cheating. I’ve had a huge problem with this in my current classes. I even had a student confess that she had written her notes on index cards, put them in her sweatshirt pocket, and was planning to sit in the back of the room and cheat. Maybe she did. She was turned in by many students and confessed to me that she had the notes but swore that she didn’t cheat. There was nothing I could do because I didn’t see this myself.
The advice I would give to a new college student is to focus on their studies and not fall into the “party world.” They need to realize that their GPA is cumulative and CAN affect their future career more than they realize.
The advice I would give to a new college instructor is that all the reading regarding student apathy and laziness when it comes to putting forth effort for their own education is true overall. I see this everyday in my job. Students expect things handed to them. They EXPECT Powerpoint notes! They EXPECT the professors to give them outlines for lectures! I had several students who do not even bring a writing utensil, never mind a notebook or paper, to class! Many of them do not attend class on Fridays on a regular basis. Over half of one of my classes did not attend lecture Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. In fact, only 7 students out of 31 came to one class.
Don’t be surprised that student’s don’t read the book! This has been so true and actually surprising to me in my return to college teaching within the past two years. When I taught in the Twin Cities from 1989-1995, it seemed like students were more focused on their studies, not all, but the majority. We did not use Powerpoints, they didn’t exist. We WROTE ON THE BOARD, I know, interesting concept. But even more interesting: students TOOK NOTES! I cannot tell you how much has evolved or just changed completely during my 15 year hiatus. I also find it astounding the sense of entitlement exists with today’s students. The expect to make up tests and quizzes if they miss them even without a good excuse.
I found the comment, “Classes, in fact, were described in multiple instances as the ‘price one has to pay’ to participate in college culture, a domain that students portrayed in terms such as ‘fun,’ ‘friendships,’ ‘partying,’ life experiences,’ and ‘late night talks,’” to be very interesting.
No, this book has not changed my perspective of undergraduate students. I live this everyday. This book really “hits the nail on the head” in regard to student life, class attendance, student expectation, etc. I really enjoyed reading this book.
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