Some of my lectures and seminars have been so empty that it’s either down to an outbreak of plague or the students just feel that attending is a low priority option. One lecturer did suggest to me that this was all down to the impending Easter Holiday. That appears to be enough of an excuse for many of my peer group. But why?
This week isn’t all that unique where attendance at seminars and lectures is concerned. Many times I’ve walked into a room or lecture theatre and wondered where everyone is. Part of the answer may be the fact that the first year of our university education will NOT count towards our final mark. I overheard one student saying: “This year I’m taking the P***. Next year I’ll do some work.” If the first year of university is not deemed important enough to count towards the final degree mark then, perhaps, it shouldn’t exist at all. Instead, we might have a two year course. It would be cheaper, shorter and still contain the marked elements that contribute to our final mark.
It does seem to me that many of my fellow students don’t take their first year seriously. They may well have the right idea. What benefit does a student derive from working hard during the first year? Those students who rarely attend lectures and seminars appear to get away with it. Students who never take notes, complete seminar pre-work or attempt to contribute don’t seem to suffer for it. So the real question is why should I put myself out when they don’t?
Answering my own question is pretty straightforward. I’m at university to learn and to put that learning to commercial use. I’m motivated to get the most from my course and to put what I learn into practise. I want to squeeze the university to get the most value for my money. I could just sit back and do little or nothing, but then I wouldn’t be able to justify to myself the costs involved. Or the time I am dedicating to my course.
It’s important that a serious student should not consider the opinions or attitudes of what appears to be a majority of ‘slackers’. Let them waste their time and money. Let them fritter away a golden opportunity. My advice would be to ignore the ‘slackers’ and keep on learning, working and improving yourself and your prospects.
Perhaps if students were better prepared for University whilst at school or sixth form college, they would not need the first year to "ease" them into University life. I do think that if the marks they get in the first year counted towards the degree, there may be more commitment to attending lectures, etc.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the first year as an introduction year actually. Not because I can then slack of and not attend my lectures and seminars. But because for me, coming from another country, it's better to have a year to get used to the UK, it's people, Uni in general and the language.
ReplyDelete