Dealing with a Difficult Professor
Getting into the right classes can be quite a difficult task in college, especially in your first couple of years, when you do not have registration priority. Since you do not get to register first, sometimes you will find yourself in a class with a difficult professor. This is also the case when it comes to required classes, for a major or minor; but, you can find a way to survive, and succeed in the class. So if you leave the first lecture in fear or disgust, know that there are ways to endure this tough situation Use the TA If you have a professor whom you find insufferable, consult the TA for further help. If you have a discussion section, it can be a great way to get clarification on difficult or confusing material. When I took Statistics in my freshman year, I could not stand my professor. She [...]
Majoring in Halo!!!??
Toward the tail end of my senior year, I would end most weeknights with the following ritual: Around 11:00 PM, I would climb a flight of stairs up to Jason’s suite, and would engage in a 30 minute session of playing one of Electronic Arts’ best selling video games, FIFA 2009 on Jason’s XBox. I went through a long and embarrassing newbie curve. Jason, and his suitemate, Josh, would select the worst teams imaginable while I would try my best with FC Barcelona, (the equivalent of the Los Angeles Lakers, in terms of talent, but in the world of soccer). It was not until the third or forth week when the 10-0 drubbings turned into tight, 2-0 losses or, if I got lucky, a 1-0 win! Jason and Josh are skilled gamers. Their talents were not just limited to sports video games. They could hang with the best of them [...]
Oh, the places you’ll go!
We spend so much time figuring out the “right” college to attend that it seems pretty silly to turn around and look for ways to get away, right? Wrong. Study abroad is one of the most valuable opportunities that college affords us and everyone should explore their study abroad options—that’s right, everyone. Even if you’re sure that it’s not for you or no program exists to fulfill your interests, you should still look into it just to be sure that you’ve covered all your bases. My own semester living and learning in Valparaíso, Chile was one of the most enriching experiences of my life, so I hope to shed a little light on the process. Study Abroad Myth #1: You have to already speak a world language. False! A huge range of programs exists, ranging from those for people who want to go to Italy, for instance, but have never [...]
Regrets, I’ve had a few…and that’s a good thing!
Jacob, I totally agree with you on the “failure” front. Having just graduated in May (and in school all over again in a school), I think a lot about the choices I made and did not make during my undergraduate years. There are certainly things that I would have done differently and maybe even wish had never happened–but the cliche rings true that I would not be the person I am today if it weren’t for those mistakes or missteps. The only reason I feel capable of being a grad student now, for instance, is because I just spent four years figuring out how I learn best. I used to be obsessed with flash cards; call it a stubborn high school holdover, but I insisted on making flash cards for just about everything throughout my freshman year of college even when they really weren’t the best study tool. Eventually this [...]
