Professors’ expectations of students not high enough
By Christina Fazio
Comment Staff
As I am wrapping up my last year as an undergraduate, I can’t help but feel as if many professors have lowered their expectations of college students and in some ways, have enabled behaviors that will not be tolerated in life following graduation.
I don’t know about you, but since this semester started, I can’t help but notice how much time some professors waste emphasizing and reminding us of things we should all know by now.
In one of my classes, my professor spent an entire class talking about how important it is for students to check their emails and respond to them in a timely manner. Is it really necessary to explain this in thorough detail, or are we really oblivious to this simple expectation and need to be constantly reminded of general scholarly etiquette?
I was under the assumption that as college students, who are as tech savvy as we are, this is something we are all aware of by now.
Two words, database lecture. Are we really still having this conversation? Sadly, we are. I think it’s safe to say we have all received this informative lecture multiple times.
If there are students who have failed to extract meaning from this overly repeated lecture, and who are still unaware how to use these rudimentary tools, then it should be assumed, it is the student’s responsibility to become oriented, outside of class time.
I have just finished taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and by no means has my undergraduate career prepared me for what is expected to be known on the exam.
If upon completion of a bachelors degree I am expected to have a vocabulary consisting of complex jargon, then why have most, if not all of my professors failed to teach in that language?
Perhaps this is because students refusing to adhere to high scholarly expectations would lose interest in school, as a result of failing to meet expectations.
This would be understanding, to some extent, if we didn’t all at some point decide to make the commitment and accept the responsibility and challenges that come alongside assuming the role of a college student.
If students begin to comply with elementary requests made by professors, start fulfilling the duties, roles and expectations of a college student, then perhaps we can quit what feels like an expensive extension of high school, and resume preparing to meet real world expectations.
Christina Fazio is a Comment opinion writer. Email her at cfazio@student.bridgew.edu.
