Date: 1/8/2019
I am currently debating whether I should take a class that has bad reviews on the teacher. Honestly, I am excited to take a class on my heritage, the History of African-Americans. I know that I am capable of taking this class, but I know last semester I was going through last with my mental health that it resulted in being burnout and lack the motivation to do anything. I am scared that it could possibly happen again this semester. I know I can be doubtful at times but I have to take care of my health, so one day I can give tips to others who might go through something similar.
Students in the past have said that this teacher, in particular, does not give good lectures and expects you to know what the teacher is talking about. I haven’t had too many professors that were like this, luckily for me but not for others. Despite the reviews online, I wanted to check out the professor myself. If the reviews were right then I would drop the class and hope I could add another class at the same time. If the reviews were wrong, then I would keep the class.
It is two in the afternoon, I am sitting in the class and the professor goes over the syllabus. One thing “ALL” students love. The professor said that there would only FOUR grades for the entire semester. Four! Two exams, a paper, and the final exam. I was screaming internally. My body was trying not to panic in front of my classmates. Does this professor not understand how bad having four grades can be? The exams and paper were worth 25% each. If I need bad on one thing, then I really have to make sure that I do well on the other things. I told my mother about the class and my current situation. She said that I should do what is in my best interest. So, I ended up dropping the class and getting another class that would complete my minor but I know others are not as lucky as I am.
What did I learn?
I learned that some professors are willing to work with students. I was surprised by how nice the Political science office lady was. She said that she was able to put me in the class since it was already full. I was thinking about a stereotypical scenario where I would sit at the desk and the professor would say that they could not do anything about it and I should have signed up for the class before it got full. However, the lady and I talked about what we did over the break. You know the one thing some introverts like me, don’t like small talk. I thanked her for helping me out and said “Happy birthday!” since she saw the 21st badge. I also helped that I had the professor before. He taught an intro to leadership course during my freshman year.
Encouragement
Make sure that you read the syllabus on how to email your professor. Some professors will let you know what to put in the subject heading. Most professors are willing to help you if you ask properly. A few professors might not answer their emails, the next thing to do is to visit them during office hours. When you look at your college department website, there is a section for you to look for faculty. Click on your professor’s name and it will give you the location of their office. The majority of professors will post their office hours. Visit the professor during their set hours to discuss why you would like to be in their class.
For those, you are able to switch the class, make a point to show up to the course you switched into. Especially if the professor helped you get into the class. When they see students who do not show up to class, the professor might not want to help other students switch into their class and it could mess up future opportunities for students who really need that class. Be a good student by being attentive in class. I know it can be hard since most students like to take their computer to surf the internet. Take a notebook instead. You will remember things better when you write your notes instead of taking notes. In case, you are a slow writer like me, take notes on the computer, then transcribe the notes on paper. Be creative and use different colored pens or highlighters to highlight important dates, vocabulary, etc.
For those, you are not as lucky to switch classes like I was, still try your best to succeed in the class. As you progress through the class and the class is harder than expected, go to the professor office hours to see if they are able to explain in detail what you did not understand from the homework, exams, quizzes, etc. If the professor is the kind that is too intelligent to explain it in layman’s terms, go to the tutoring center. The tutoring center would have tutors for the classes that are difficult. If there is no tutor for that class available, see if a classmate will explain what you do not understand. Assuming that your classmate says yes, look at how they take notes and make their study guides. If the classmate says no, then go online to read different articles and videos on concepts that are harder for you to grasp. You have the ability to use your phone and computer access information that some people in parts of the world do not know. Use it to your advantage.
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