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Although the professor figures prominently in the failure or success of his students, the students themselves bear much responsibility for their own education. I will hold up my end of the bargain to the best of my ability, but you need to meet me half way. What follows is a series of suggestions about how you can make the most of the opportunities this class offers.
Attendance:
It is impossible to learn anything or obtain a more than mediocre grade unless
one attends class. The following assertion may sound trite, but it remains true:
those who come to class enjoy a huge advantage over those who do not.
Attitude:
If you come prepared to work hard and learn something, you will enjoy yourself.
On the other hand, if you are determined to dislike this course or cruise through
with a minimum of effort, you will suffer through a long and miserable semester.
Attentiveness:
Pay attention to the syllabus, to the website, to your peers, and to me. By
doing so, you will spare everyone a great deal of trouble later on.
Reading:
No matter how smart you are, you must read to learn. If you do not read, you
will not encounter ideas and perspectives that differ from your own. Your mind
will remain insular and undeveloped, and you will have succeeded in defeating
the purpose of the liberal arts education for which you have paid so much.
Thinking:
It is absolutely imperative that you think while you read and write. Glancing
at a page in a book is not reading. At the same time, merely typing a series
of words is not writing. Only the thinking that takes place during these activities
gives them any meaning or value. Always think before doing. If anything, a liberal
arts education ought to teach you to think.
Care:
Anybody can conceive of a great idea. Very few possess the patience, diligence,
and will to make it a reality. You can only learn these qualities through practice.
The more care you show for your work, the more you will achieve.
Initiative:
Take some initiative in your own education. If you encounter an obstacle, find
a way to surmount it rather than an excuse to succumb to it. One of Aesop's
fables concludes with the moral, "God helps those who help themselves,"
which is just another way of saying that people who help themselves will meet
with more success than those who complain, whine, cry, or simply give up.
Consultation:
If you have ANY questions about the class that the website or syllabus do not
answer, please consult me. Send me an e-mail, come to my office hours, or set
up an appointment with me. One of the advantages associated with attending a
small, private, liberal arts college is that you have easy access to the faculty.
Take advantage of that access to ask the professor for help.
And Finally. . . : Look at this class as an opportunity to impress me with your application and thought. Seize that opportunity. If you do not, somebody else invariably will. In this context, merely "adequate" performances will not make much of an impression and will lead to mediocre grades.
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Copyrighted
by Hugh Dubrulle, 2001
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