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 moved through the material far too quickly, and her strong accent caused me even more confusion.

Fortunately, my TA was fantastic, pretty much saving my grade in the class.  His discussion section made the material understandable, and his one section more valuable for me than the professor’s three lectures.

Go to the office

In a big lecture hall, professors can seem larger than life.  But remember that they are people too, not figures to be afraid of.

All professors have office hours, and most will make appointments to accommodate your schedule.  Talk to them, because they want to help you.  Even if their lectures are excruciating, they are likely approachable one-on-one, and it is worth a visit if you need help.

I took my first upper division class in my sophomore year, and my teacher was extremely difficult.  Her lectures contained more information than I could process, and her homework assignments were very difficult.

But when I finally got up the courage to visit her office, she helped me with the subject matter, and remained patient with me.  So don’t be afraid or intimidated, because they want to help you.

And if/when you do visit office hours, make sure you are polite, no matter how insufferable their lectures may be.

If anyone else has advice on dealing with difficult professors, please post below.

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 in Halo too.Keep Reading…

Had Occidental College offered some kind of Video Game science minor, I can guarantee you that Jason and Josh would have signed up for courses. And while Occidental College does not plan on doing this anytime soon (to the best of my knowledge), the Los Angeles Times ran article stating that the University of California at Irvine, just added itself to the growing list of schools who offer students the ability to major in Video Game Science or Game Science. Other schools include Full Sail University and Bettergrads co-founder Erhardt Graef’s alma-mater Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Do we get to play Halo 2 during class?!!

One question that arises with such a major would be the associated coursework. Most schools would not be keen on having their students spending class time engaging in massive Halo tournaments. An article from the Washington Post noted that students at Carnegie Mellon, take classes such as Intro to Entertainment Technology, Building Virtual Worlds and Game Design. When I took a look at the course requirements for a BS in Game Design and Development from RIT, I was pleased to learn that the major encompasses a variety of subjects including Discrete mathematics, Physics, website development, and of course, Game Software Development III, and Foundations of 2D Graphics programming. Future students, be prepared to study more than just Halo maps.

Will they take me seriously after college? I mean video game design is more ledgit than basket weaving, right?

Another point to consider is the validity of such a major. When I spoke to my friend Josh about this, he stated, “The quality of teaching (and sincerity of the major’s educational spirit) matters much more than the content…it makes sense to have a games major.” With the course requirements at RIT, it is safe to say that there are plenty of transferable skills. And while some employers may chuckle or raise an eyebrow when they see BS in Video Game Design on a student’s resume, such a response can never take away from that individual’s passion for the field.

Want to learn more about the projects students have made during their college careers? Curious readers can check out the links to cool projects in video game design below:

Sociable

Dino Quest

WOW inspired RPG

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 spoken a word of Italian beyond “ravioli.” And on the flipside, if you have already studied a language for many years, you can definitely find programs intended for students with a heightened skill level. Some programs focus largely on learning the local language, while others are even in English and focus a specific topic instead. And of course many programs forge a balance of the two—the key is to research all possibilities and options.

Study Abroad Myth #2:
There aren’t very many study abroad possibilities for science and math majors.
So not true! Depending on your college’s requirements, many avenues exist for science and math majors to study abroad. Public health-focused programs are becoming more common and I know several biology and chemistry majors who spend semesters or summers doing research in tropical regions of the world. Also, many colleges allow students to count an international program’s coursework for general education requirements. So a math major could very well fulfill those dreaded literature and art history requirements from the vantage point of the Thames River or perhaps the Louvre—not bad!

Study Abroad Truth #1:
A semester abroad, like a semester on campus, has its ups and downs.
Study abroad is definitely one of those experiences that has its early honeymoon phase (in this country, the sky is bluer! The kids are cuter! The sugar is sweeter!) followed by a sort of winding down of initial energy that can be frustrating and even disappointing. As with college, the study abroad application process is a bit draining, so by the time you finally arrive and get settled, a curious sort of “what now?” mentality may develop. The key is to not allow that first dip in energy and enthusiasm to stop you from fully experiencing all that your new environment has to offer—explore a new neighborhood, plan a day trip with someone else from the program, and just do something to reinvigorate your energy. It’s a totally normal part of the process : )

Study Abroad Truth #2:
Myriad types of programs exist and it’s hard to make a choice.
Some programs place students with host families, others set participants up in apartments or dorms at local universities. Some programs are total immersion in the language while others operate in English. Direct enrollment programs mean that you are taking university classes right alongside students from that country, while other programs teach their own classes or other coursework. Most programs are stationary, but it becoming popular to create semesters in which the students change locations within a country throughout the semester.
The diversity of choices for study abroad can be a little overwhelming, which is why it’s important to contact three types of people who can help you: your college’s international program/study abroad office, the program provider itself (if different than your own school), and students who have participate in the programs in the past. The first two sets of people can help you with the nitty-gritty details of coursework, finances, fulfilling college requirements, and so forth. The third set—the program alumni—can flesh out the picture you have of what each experience would be like and help you decide if a program would be a good fit. Unlike choosing a college, you can’t exactly tour a study abroad experience, so talking to previous participants is the next best thing. Many programs have formal Alumni Mentor roles in place, but you can always call the program provider directly and ask to be put in touch with someone from a previous semester.
And with that, good luck! Or as they say in my adopted second language, ¡buena suerte!

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 dawned on me (probably in the form of red marks all over a blue book exam) and I realized that I had to explore other study techniques to find what worked best for me.

I also regret how much I pushed myself into a certain double major “box” from the get-go and then had to pull myself out when I realized that what I thought I wanted to do as a high school senior might not be true forever. I started out planning a Diplomacy & World Affairs/Theater major, but my last-minute decision to drop a theater class and try out Race & American Politics was possibly the most liberating moment of my undergraduate career. The realization that I was in charge of my academic path was extremely powerful and I’m so grateful that it happened because I ended up very happy with my Politics major/Spanish minor. Sometimes I look back on how frenzied I was as a freshman, trying to map out a rigid 4-year plan, and wonder whatever made me place all that pressure on myself in the first place!

Along similar lines, I experimented with so many extracurricular opportunities. Although some of them were definitely not good fits from the start (i.e. wish I’d known that Assistant Business Manager for the college newspaper meant folding and stamping copies for 200+ off-campus subscribers. Every. Single. Week.) I am glad that I allowed myself the flexibility to explore a variety of options. Otherwise, I never would have found the ones (writing for aforementioned newspaper, writing advising, Orientation team, etc) that felt truly fulfilling.

It’s easy to look at mistakes we’ve made and call them “regrets” and “failures.” But those words have such negative connotations, I think that we are better served to view these instances as learning experiences instead. Easier said than done, I know–but so worth it when we come out on the other side more prepared for the next challenge.