Students should try harder and faculty should lend more of a hand
-Editor-In-Chief-
The rant might also include that Meramec’s math program is unfair and mean. While there may be truth to these angry rants, just as in any argument, there is an opposition.
While the numbers show that Meramec’s completion rate in mathematics-based courses are low, it is completely unnecessary to point the finger of blame towards the mathematics department. While classes may seem difficult at times, they are by all means possible, just as any course at Meramec is possible.
Sure, it might take some hard work on the student’s side, but contrary to popular belief, college is not all about hanging out in the quad, playing Frisbee and getting free food from student government events.
College is about working hard to get a proper education. Whether it means studying until your eyes bleed or producing papers in quantities rivaling The New York Times, at the end of the day it has to happen.
It is time for students to take a hard look in the mirror and an even harder look into those College Algebra books and type in those codes required to register the software in mathematics classes. It might be a little frightening sitting in that computer chair that so many other students have sat in.
But keep in mind some have failed, but just as well, some have passed. It really all comes down to putting in the work, with all of the credit hours students stack up, it might seem impossible, but look at the math class as just another class. Look at the math book as another book that needs to be studied.
The mathematics department here at Meramec can take a little slice off the blame train as well. Arter surveying several students, it is clear that there are often complain ts of being disallowed use of calculators, finding it hard to connect with instructors and often being shrugged off when asking for help.
For students in computerized courses some complain they feel like their “eyes are glued to a screen for over an hour.” Why not? most students coming from high school courses are used to face-to-face time with instructors. While hands-on-learning through educational programs is a great idea, it puts students into an environment they are not used to.
While all these atrocities are being committed against students, it is important to look at it from the instructor’s point of view, because at the end of the day there are fair arguments on each side of the pendulum.
What can be done to make everyone happy with taking mathematics courses at Meramec? That is the real question. What key will unlock the sweet spot in the middle of this pendulum of equations and algorithms?
First off, students should try to take it upon themselves to try harder and if they have tried as hard as they can, reach out to the teacher instead of instantly dropping the course. On the other side, teachers could make their classes a little more “real world” friendly. In other words, a calculator would be nice.
Another way the department could reach out to students is by holding an open forum for students to voice their concerns. It would be a nice way to see what students like and dislike about what the department is doing and students would feel more heard and appreciated.
This might take some time and effort on the mathematics department’s part, but it is a step in the right direction as far as student-teacher relations goes.
Change is tough. But as Bob Dylan wrote, “the times, they are a-changing.” Hopefully, if these small changes are accepted, there will enter a new outlook for students enrolled in math courses.
It’s time to stop playing the blame game and start playing the academic game. The best thing students and the mathematics department can do is find some common ground and build upon it.
Wounds of former students cannot be healed, but current students would appreciate being heard by the college instead of shrugged off and left out to dry.
