I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience as an E115 instructor this semester. Teaching freshman engineering students about computer basics has been extremely rewarding and I’m going to be sad when the semester is over and they move on to bigger and better things in the College of Engineering.
Well, most of them will. I remember last year, as a freshman myself, I was the only person in my E101 group who wasn’t changing majors after the first semester. Some of my students this year have expressed feelings of doubt about completing a degree in engineering because of the rough transition from the well-balanced high school courses to the calculus, physics and chemistry intensive curricula that each engineering discipline entails.
For a one hour, credit-only introductory-level course, E115 has made a lot of work for Paul Cousins, the director of the Office of Student Conduct. With over 20 academic integrity violating cases reported, E115 — as silly as this sounds — has gained the sad reputation of being a freshman “weed-out” course. This is only because students have grown apathetic — they would rather submit another person’s Excel worksheet on time rather than turning their own in a day later for only ten points off.
The University officials who spoke at all summer orientation sessions weren’t kidding when they said students should study three hours for every credit hour of classes each week. Many students who were able to breeze through high school AP and IB classes with straight As, realize upon arrival at NCSU that real college courses actually take work.
Degrees are worked for — they are not simply bought. College-level education has become commonplace; in the past, a high school diploma was a “good” education and only specialized professions went on to colleges and universities.
With college now costing upwards of $15,000 a year, why are students so apathetic towards school? They complain when their money pays the salary of a professor who assigns homework to reinforce what is being learned in the classes they are require to take in order to get a job in the career they want to pursue.
If you’re having trouble in introductory classes, then you should take a step back and examine the big picture. Switching to another degree might be the best idea. Or, mixing in a minor or a second major in something that also interests you could be a good idea. I added business as a second major over the summer after taking an accounting course I enjoyed. I found the rational computations of that class to be a nice relief from the complex calculus problems I had been used to.
Our time spent in college is supposed to be some of the best years of our lives. So, don’t be apathetic when it comes to your academics. If you’re not happy with what you’re studying then find an area that interests you and run with it.
Are you enjoying what you’re studying? Give us your thoughts at viewpoint@technicianonline.com.