A few weeks ago, I wrote my first Odyssey article about a five-step cycle of immersing yourself in another language. Of all the challenges that I've faced in my semester abroad in Costa Rica, the Spanish aspect of my life here has definitely been the most difficult in many ways. However, there's another aspect of life here that has caused me significantly more petty grief (and definitely more boredom).
My classes here are three hours long.
In high school, I took a night class that was three hours long once a week. But here, all five of my classes last for three hours with no breaks. I believe that this especially long class period has given me the opportunity to see more clearly a phenomenon that happens in college classrooms and auditoriums all across the world and every week, regardless of their length.
I'm talking about the five stages of grief one exhibits in a three hour (or really, any) college class.
Stage 1: Denial
This won't be that bad. This class isn't really too long. Three hours is a totally manageable amount of time. I've got my laptop. I've got Facebook. I've got my phone that I can hide behind my laptop. And if all else fails, I can even pay attention! No worries.
Stage 2: Anger
What is this professor talking about? I don't even know why I signed up for this class. What are the odds that I can just get up and leave? I'm just not smart enough to do this. I can't sit still this long. Why is this chair so uncomfortable and why won't that guy stop coughing? That professor had better not call on me.
Stage 3: Bargaining
Maybe if I can just pay attention for the next five minutes, I'll know what's going on. Maybe if I just write down everything the professor is saying, I'll be able to pay attention. OK, here's the deal, self. If I pay attention for the rest of class, I'll go buy myself an iced coffee when it's over... or maybe a cookie. I can do this.
Stage 4: Depression
I will never pass this class. I will never pass college. I am going to fail this test. I can't do it. Why do I ever think I can pay attention in class? I should just leave now. I can't even. Literally.
Stage 5: Acceptance
Well, it's been an hour and a half now. It's better for me to sit here and look like I'm paying attention than it is for me to leave. At least if I'm typing, I look studious, and in another hour and a half, I can leave with everyone else. There are worse things than this class. At least I have Facebook.
While these stages may not manifest themselves in the same way for every student, it is my opinion (and experience) that this is a cycle that holds true in most cases, whether one's class is three hours or 50 minutes long. There's something about the college classroom that takes away most of my sanity and ability to pay attention, at least temporarily. If you're someone who, like me, has experienced this cycle before, I hope that I have helped you feel less alone and maybe made you laugh. If you've read this whole article and have no idea what I'm writing about, hopefully your takeaway can be that you are significantly better adjusted than I am, particularly in the realm of the classroom learning experience.
