The first semester as a freshman at Hampton University is slowly but surely coming to an end. As midterm week comes to a close and finals on the horizon, many freshmen students are coming to the realization that college is a lot more than what they expected. Oddly, many fear failing a class because their professor was not able to teach them what they needed to learn to pass.
A lot of students here at Hampton are noticing that college is a "self-teach system." In some cases, there are students who slack off and do not consider going to a professor for help when they notice they are failing. There are also plenty of professors on campus such as Dr. Rose, Dr. Hu and many others who are willing to take the time out and teach what needs to be taught in class and offer office hours for additional help. In most cases, students are struggling in classes because professors are just giving them the so-called "basics" of the lesson and expects the student to learn the remaining information in their $100-plus dollar textbook. Many students disagree with this form of teaching. Classes will last no longer than fifty minutes due to the fact that a professor may have to leave early. That leaves the student to find and figure out the information on their own. According to Maryellen Weimer PhD in her article "She Didn't Teach. We had to learn ourselves." To many teachers, leaving students to do the work on their own is just a new style of teaching. In their eyes, they can not "hold hands" with the student and walk them through every step. It is up to the student to be the adult and figure it out. This is a reasonable way to consider teaching, but in most cases teachers are forgetting they must actually give students enough information to be their own best advocate.
Many upperclassmen here at Hampton University have adjusted to this style of teaching.They also admit to complaining their freshmen year about the lack of actual teaching by a professor. They have informed freshmen that it is something they would have to get used to or get a tutor. Although this is good advice, one freshmen student in Hampton's University 101 class presented the argument that "as much as tuition cost, shouldn't that reflect how well I am being taught?" At Hampton University, students do not agree with the fact that they are paying $36,000 each year to receive an education that involves just teaching themselves. Many complaints arise, like, "My professor literally reads straight from the book with no explanation" or "How am I supposed to teach myself when I didn't even understand the lesson?" Many other unheard complaints are circulating around campus. Professor Boone-one of the student life professors- states, "It is not the professor's job to teach you everything." Then what exactly is the professor's job? Who are the real professors at Hampton University, if not those who are being paid to lecture?
