So we’re in college, the place for fun, memories and meeting a bunch of new people. But the only reason we’re here, we all come here to get an education. Something that will prepare us for the future, for the real world, and the only thing that stands in our way is about 120 hours and a bunch of  hard classes with confusing professors, right?

Junior biology major, Roslyn Alonzo, begs to differ. Despite taking on such a difficult major she states, “I like how all of the professors are really knowledgeable,” she adds, “and no matter how challenging the course, they are always willing to help you as long as you’re not afraid to come up to them and ask questions.”

Sophomore engineering major Shayan Khan, perhaps one of the lucky few agrees,  “my professors are really helpful and really hands on with us.” Khan adds that he likes that they “help [students] out even when  they don’t have to.”

So this is great, right? It seems like all our professors are doing their part, right? Most professors are there as a reference and have respectable office hours and they’re here for us as students. I mean after all we are paying them, right? 

“I hate it when professors just teach from the book and powerpoints and then post the powerpoints on WebCt. Why even waste my time going to class if  that’s what I’m going to get, junior biology and chemistry Nick Salter, said.” He adds that “I once took an exam and 48 out of the 50 questions were from the book, and only two were from lecture. It made me mad.”

But who speaks for the students? Seriously if the professors tell you that you have to go to class and take notes and listen to the lecture, for them only to take questions almost verbatim from the book is y low. This made Salter mad enough to raise his voice. He’s gone as far as telling some of his professors that they’re horrible–that they’re basically reading the book out loud to him.

Also Salter’s even caught on to their teaching habits, “I have this professor who teaches from the power-point, like she literally reads word for word. But the last fifteen minutes of class she asks iClicker questions, which is about the time I come in.”

So basically when it  come to college, teach yourself. I mean I know it’s our time to become independent and responsible, but how much of the material is actually our responsibility? Maybe as students we should interview professors, check their credentials, or even go as far as test driving their courses.

But for Alonzo, it seems like she was blessed with all the awesome professors. She states that “actually going to class help [her] learn and make sense of the material.” She adds, “I don’t really learn by just reading the material by myself. I need someone to tell me what’s important and what I should focus on.”

Khan likes that professors use power-points to enforce main points and show examples. Both Khan and Salter agree that they’d rather have  a professor who uses the power point as a supplement rather that the main focus. Khan also suggests that he’d like to see “professors walk around the class so it would show that they cared a bit.”

Salter likes it when professors incorporate real life stories or examples, “it shows that the class is something you can really use. Almost like that extra push of encouragement to actually learn the material, because you’ll actually be using it.”

Khan did mention that he had a bad experience with a professor so bad he couldn’t even recall his name. Khan said, “ I had a professor who was so busy with his life that he just came and wrote stuff on the board and then left. Basically the TA taught the course. And on top of that I’d go to his office hours and he was never there!”

But where do we draw the line between bad professor and bad student? Alonzo thinks “most professors already do what they can. They do have office hours and you can talk to them. Yet I’m sure they do have more things to do other that class lectures. I think it’s also up to the students to build relationships.

Okay so what have we learned? Power-points are a great help, just as long as professors don’t lecture directly from them.

Professors offer resources like office hours that can help us out.

Professors are actually here to help you, they’ll extend due dates, let you make up tests and answer any questions you might have.

Professors should actually teach the course and make it interesting, not just focus on students copying the power point or the board.

Lastly, students do have to make an effort. This isn’t high school or community college, this is college and students need to be responsible in taking advantage of anything that’s offered, including actually going to class.