There’s nothing worse than going into a college classroom and feeling disrespected and underestimated.
College is supposed to be a place where a student’s knowledge and capabilities are fostered and guided, not constantly demeaned.
Lately, my classes have been full of professors uttering phrases such as, “but you probably wouldn’t know about that,” or “you’re too young to have heard about this.”
The professor for one of my general education courses spent the entire 80 minutes of the first class showing the lecture hall a PowerPoint about how the current generation is, among other things, uninformed, lazy, overweight and addicted to social media.
What a great way to introduce yourself to 200 college students who are only in class because professors are allowed to take attendance now.
Even in the 3000-level courses required for my film major, I find professors often insinuating that I haven’t seen a film released before 1980.
This doesn’t only happen to me though; it seems to be a campus-wide problem.
Some of my genius engineering friends tell me their classes are full of a non-stop spew of condescending rants, instead of whatever the hell it is that engineers do.
And most egregiously, despite being a film major and having taken four consecutive years of German, I wasn’t allowed to take a 4000-level course on German film, simply because I am only a sophomore. Not even the LSU registrar has a high opinion of the school’s students.
What do professors gain from the general aura of disrespect they give off? And more importantly, what happens to the students on the other side of these rants?
When I start out the school year, I can’t wait to meet my new professors. I’m usually so overcome with excitement on the first day of class that I completely screw up the personal introductions we’re forced to do.
I frequently debate skipping classes where I know I will have to sit there and be belittled for 50 minutes at a time. The disrespect creates tension between the entire class and the professor, which probably doesn’t equate to decent grades or a productive classroom environment.
This may not apply to other students, who seem to base their opinions on different courses or professors on how much they actually have to show up and pay attention.
I guess if you don’t show up to class, you don’t have to deal with a professor talking to you as if you’re brain dead.
Classrooms need to be friendly places where respect is the No. 1 rule. Most professors are more concerned about having a classroom where students are nothing but orderly beings who type up every word they utter.
There needs to be a change in the way the University views its students. Why does it have such low standards for us?
I realize they don’t want young kids taking difficult classes they will likely drop. I understand that not every student in my film courses has an extensive knowledge of the history of cinema, but there should be a middle ground between treating students as if they know nothing and as if they know everything.
Coming to the University, I was well aware that we weren’t going to be held to Ivy League standards, but this isn’t what I expected.
SidneyRose Reynen is a 19-year-old film and media arts and art history sophomore from New Orleans, Louisiana. Find her on Twitter
@sidneyrose_TDR.