Learning is a biological process and neurons grow slowly -- just like trees. [Dr. Hagen]
Finding a way to motivate yourself is the key to success, not just in college but in life. [Dr. Jones]
Determine your optimal mode of learning and adapt your studying accordingly. [Dr. Rice]
Schedule out your social time alongside your coursework. [Lexy]
Go to office hours and hook up with classmates who also seek help. [Ashlee]
The 25-35 advice is easy to follow if you integrate social and study activities. [Megan]
Of course there are at least fifty other pithy nuggets I've left out. When Dr. Jones mentioned that a class asking questions is a professor's greatest honor, that really is true. After our first round of Meet the Faculty, all three of our guests were thrilled/impressed with the great questions this class asked them. Keep it up!
I hope these panel discussions will be helpful, but they are new to this department. My idea is that hearing from differing viewpoints, from both faculty and student peers, is much better than listening to one person [me] prattle on. Since this is only week 3, I don't have a good ability to read you all very well [yet] and how much you are getting out of the experience. Perhaps you'll let me know?
Next week we'll have the second round of Meet the Faculty, a minilecture from, ahem, Dr Schoonover [The Unfortunate Fates of Famous Thermodynamicists] as well as a visit from the student clubs.
5 comments:
Today was awesome... who would've thought vampires were real!?!?!? hah freaky. Beside the point, although (I personally) haven't gotten a boat load out of our discussion (whether it be because of already having the information, or lack of interest... or being tired)it has been fun and interesting... I mean the presentations/'visual aid' have been fun and interesting. I feel like a vital component of the class is missing. And I think you yourself said it to a certain extent - that one part of this class is about getting to know the fellow chem/biochem majors, that really hasn't happened to any real extent(in class). That's just my two cents. A third cent would be that the class is to late in the day... but i suppose that can't really be helped... (opinions... whatcha gonna do right?
Thanks for your input, Cory. I haven't overlooked the goal of nudging students together, but it can't be done overnight (tonight was just our third meeting while the first was introductions, which was step one towards this goal). And the class has to be willing to make connections outside of their living situation and first-years are notoriously reticent at doing so. Twitter has been an attempt at helping facilitate this, however loosely (the jury is still out whether this is successful).
But now you've got me thinking... :)
i think this class has a really good concept...allowing new-to-college freshman get to know their major. im not really sure what is missing but i feel like the class is lacking something. if i figure it out ill let you know.
Thanks so much for your input, it is appreciated. I've received four or five very positive emails [much appreciated as well] but I also think it is maybe a couple of weeks early to make too many generalizations. I'm quite sure that this course *feels* different than any of your others, but I think that's to be expected. I'm eager to learn more and adapt as much as possible. :)
i think i figured it out....it seems to easy. i expected classes to be crazy hard in a ten week quarter and this class is a nice break from reality. i think the "feel" is that i actually like the class.
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