What do you expect to get out of your classes?

An interesting question was posed in my Race Ethnicity & Justice class this week.

What are we expected to get out of this course?

Our professor responded that we are not expected to change the system; however, we are expected to gain knowledge, education, and facts that we can use and apply in our everyday lives and future careers. Our professor answered, as a group we can try to make a difference and improve parts of the system; however, we are not expected to as individuals. As individuals, we should be independent thinkers using this knowledge we have gained from this course in all of our other courses, at work, at home and in our communities. If in one class we have background knowledge of an issue that is briefly raised in the next class, our voice should be heard in discussions and debates about these issues. As you take more similar classes in your field of choice you begin to notice similarities about the classes. Therefore, you can have more in depth discussions about the material because of that outside knowledge.

Lots of students take classes simply because they are required; however, they ignore the question of what they are suppose to take away from that class. I would challenge each of you to ask yourself that question in each of your classes. With that information, knowledge and fact, how can you apply that in your lives!

It is not about getting that A; however, I am not saying one should not aspire to get an A, but of even more importance is actually learning and using that knowledge you have gained in your everyday life. A student can get an A in a class and may have learned nothing because they simply memorized the information then they erased it out of their minds after the test. It is better to have a deeper understanding of the material and knowledge in your classes than the grade you receive. Then, you have developed knowledge that can not be forgotten easily because you learned it and applied it!

We all pay a substantial amount of money for tuition to attend universities, it is imperative that we make the best of every single course we take!!

We can have success if we have knowledge but without application of that knowledge we may have a sense of unfulfillment!

Make the best of your college career and begin to make a difference in your lives and the lives of others!!