I'm back in college and I enjoy the life of a student for the most part; I always make high grades because I work for them and stay on top of assignments. I take clear notes, ask questions, and participate in general- I'm a natural student because I like it; what comes easily is generally welcomed.
While I do appreciate my summer school class- American Political and Economic Issues, and am in fact fascinated by its nature, my classmates leave something to be desired. As a majority, they feel class time is something to be wasted. Apparently, they would rather ask my teacher personal questions as opposed to something actually related to lecture topics. You know- they're so smart they don't need to learn.
This is what bothers me: If i am paying several hundred American dollars to learn something, I want to learn it. I don't care what it's like working at your location of Outback Steakhouse; I'm not there to hear girls discuss why they hate others of their same gender. Monopolizing class time is both bad for the individual and for the masses.
While the front of the class (I sit in the front- center desk) discussed the Electoral College in general, today, the back half of the room played around on the internet, laughed and giggled loudly at their leisure, and pretty much blew off the lecture. Another student addressed our teacher by his first name (this is not our common practice) and later actually used the "F-word" and lied saying they said, "duck."
After a light reprimand from our instructor, a student from the middle location actually challenged my teacher; she asked who my teacher was to tell a 20 year old girl ("a grown girl") what could and could not come out of her mouth? Another student tried to break the ice by asking the origin of profanity?
The teacher didn't know, but all were shocked to learn that I did: during the Middle Ages, those found "guilty" of premarital sex, were locked in guillotines with the acronym, "F U C K" posted above; it stood for, "Found Under Carnal Knowledge." I wish I could have taken a picture of the expressions which swept over the back of the room; it was priceless.
I just can't imagine using profanity in class, wasting class time, asking my teacher inappropriate/ personal questions, reprimanding him, or jeopardizing the flow in general. Sadly, maybe it is true what my grandparents always preached: maybe each generation does further its ability to go to "Hell in a hand-basket?" Is insolence the new norm? Is disrespect OK? I want my teacher to organize and take my the class- I want him to excuse students for being disruptive, like any good instructor should.
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7 comments:
Unfortunately your teacher, while may be talented in other ways, seems to have let the inmates run the asylum. I did find summer courses to be less focused than regular session. It seemed that for every person who wanted to be there to learn, there were two or three who needed the credit to catch up because they were wasting their other semesters.
I had thought it was Fornicate Under Command of the King. Basically, the king doesn’t have to ask.
The profanity you mention actually is French. As in "Pardon My French," and it refers to the sexual act. Our modern English version is used in many other ways.
Someone wrote a very thorough explanation of the word's past and present, if I find it again I will forward to you.
While I use the word frequently myself, you are correct that there are times and places where it is totally inapropriate. Don't get too snobbish about it though, America is about difference of opinion.
That is so strange for a college course. It leaves me wondering why those students are there at all. They need to get jobs.
Christine
http://froginnorthgeorgia.com/
What school do you go to? lol I never experience that in any of my classes. But it's true, young people today are very disrespectful.
Hey!!
Hope you are well, I am kind of back after a bit of a break!! I am going to try and take some time later to read over the new posts on your blog!!
Chapter Three - Part 2 is up on the blog now so if you have a minute, go and have a read! Would be great to know what you think!!
Look forward to hearing from you soon!
yeah, that sounds more like high school than college.
People definitely act like this in the big lecture halls at my school. It's a little harder to get away with talking loudly when the class is only about 60 people.
I avoid all of the disrespect by falling asleep in the back half of the classroom. Scientific studies haven't yet proved it, but I still feel it's possible to learn through osmosis.
Good take, though.
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