As the first day of classes looms over students returning from a much-needed vacation, thousands of freshman students will be attending the first classes of their college careers. All freshmen will be required to enroll in freshman seminars specific to their declared majors. Unfortunately, this crucial requirement has become a campus-wide joke.
It took only a matter of weeks for my own freshman seminar to fall into a loose pattern of uncomfortable conversation, a YouTube video, and a form of busy work with points attached as motivation. This was usually something along the lines of writing out your study habits and making a daily schedule. Even though there were points attached to said assignments, I rarely saw any of my classmates hard at work. We ended up bonding more over the pointlessness of the assignments, rather than the information itself.
Even though the difficulty level of LIA 194 was ideal, it became more of a routine chore than a real class. I began to wonder when we would do something with more focus.
Sadly, that time never came.
The course structure tends to vary from major to major, though. My roommate at the time, a biochemistry student, visited labs and went over material relevant to his classes. As a creative writing major, I spent weeks of in-class time talking about how to organize my time and watching clips from “Doctor Who.”
In my seminar of entirely creative writing students, not once did we talk about our work, why we chose the focus, or even what we read on the side. Students should be engaging directly with their major. This can increase students’ interest in their subject matter, or make them realize that the subject may not be the right one for them. Why shouldn’t a creative writing student get the same experience as a biochemistry student?
The teaching in these classes is just as inconsistent. Often, student facilitators will be selected to teach the course. Employing current students is a great way for students to connect with fellow students. But for such an important task the application process is surprisingly easy: A student facilitator application for CLAS states that an applicant must “submit (a) resume, letter of application and names, addresses and phone numbers of three references.”
There is no mention of a syllabus draft or even a letter of recommendation. Although, I understand that there is an interview process as well and it’s possible that I’m underestimating the role of said interview.
This is not to say that the course’s values are not important. A successful college needs its students to understand college life, so they learn to create an environment hospitable to learning.
But if a course is designed specifically for certain majors and is required, then shouldn’t it be designed with more forethought in mind?
Reach the columnist at schergos@asu.edu. Follow the columnist @ShawnChergorsky.
