Message To My Freshman Student Analysis

Improved Essays
In Keith M. Parsons’, “Message to My Freshman Students.”, He shows that he is very biased. To me the points he tells don’t prove anything, as they’re invalid. For the first time ever in his career, he is teaching a freshman course. Parsons has heard about the incoming freshman and believes that he is ready for what’s soon to come. He tells how students need to adapt to how professors teach, when coming into college. He also says that the teachers are the ones to blame for freshman students being, “apathetic, incurious, inattentive, unresponsive and frequently absent” (Keith M. Parsons’,” Message to My Freshman Students”). Keith believes that because they’re the ones coming to him, he shouldn’t change what he is used to, to suit them. Furthermore, Keith says that students don’t know what hard work, diligence, intelligence and integrity really means because, they have had everything given to them. He goes on to talk about how him as well as other Professors are not Teachers and what makes them different . …show more content…
Now I agree that students should be challenged. However, don’t change their entire way of learning. Teachers hold student’s hands to make sure they understand in the simplest way. As times change, people must adapt. Why make it hard for the students? They are already under enough pressure. You can’t forget that they’re the future of the world. Therefore, professors are a key element to making sure they point their lives in the intended direction, just as the teachers did. That not caring attitude is just selfish in my opinion. You already know the material, so why not spread that knowledge and make everything in the world easier. If you think about it, if everyone is enlightened then everything they do would be more efficient. It’s no time for learning a new way to learn, especially now that students have to pay to learn

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Schooled Analysis

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Imagine being someone who doesn't know anyone, where anything is, and how to do most things. “Schooled” is about someone named Cap who was raised in a hippy commune and ends up moving to the city where he barely knows anything. In the story, Cap meets many people that change throughout the story, and they get “Schooled.” Being schooled is being taught something. “Schooled” is an appropriate title for this book.…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    It is a mistake to assume that all students are the same, and learn the same way as well. Humans learn at different rates, so why are students being forced to learn certain things according to their age? (Bjerede). All students cannot learn the same way. Finding ways to accommodate for the students that may learn a little bit faster or slower than others is necessary to ensure that they are not overlooked. Currently in our education system, students are being forced to…

    • 1336 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    This is not always the case. Sometimes students should actually pay attention. Feynman observed a class in Brazil and was watching the students learn. Feynman states, “The students were all sitting there taking dictation, and when the professor repeated the sentence, they checked it to make sure they wrote it down all right. Then they wrote down the next sentence, and on and on” (Feynman 55). He did not understand how any of them were going to learn from this process. Feynman then goes up to one of the students and questions one of the students what they do with all the notes. The student replies saying they will study them because they will be tested on the material, and he could tell Feynman what questions would be on the exam. Feynman then says, “They could pass the examinations, ‘learn’ all this stuff, and not know anything at all, except what they memorized” (Feynman 55). There is a misconception of learning being explained. Sometimes students will learn material just for the incentive of the grade, and then dump it, which is not learning at all. The teacher should realize this, and try teaching material in a different way.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    They also believe everybody should go to college and should be our countries goal. But for this to happen the authors believe professors should be engaged with their students, this is another area the authors feels needs to improve. "They must become conscientious, caring, and attentive to every corner of their classrooms," (Hacker and Dreifus 180). .…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    College Students Need to Toughen Up, Quit Their Grade Whining, is an essay written by Robert Schlesinger that critiques the grading system many college students expect. Robert states that when he was in college, “Do an adequate job, get a c,” was the standard. Schlesinger shows frustration to current college students that expect high grade for doing mediocre jobs. He disagrees with students that believe that their grades should show the amount of effort they put into their work. Although Schlesinger aims the blame of this mindset at students, the true cause of this situation is how these students have been taught before entering college. Colleges should change their grading systems to mimic the grading…

    • 823 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines, the idea that guidance is needed to help people who have falling in despair and they need to regain their sense of purpose. Chipping away at ignorance is needed so that the true potential of the individual is revealed. This ignorance is caused by the submission of the portion of society to a higher power who abuses said power. Grant Wiggins in the book A Lesson Before Dying, has started to lose his purpose of staying in his little town and teaching in the plantation school. The kids seem to have no progress with his teachings and even though he has gained some power through an education his social relationship with the whites has not changed. All the goals and dreams he had in mind when he decided…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Parsons then begins to give examples of why the old “instruction” method of the high school level had worked. Parsons states that “teacher makes you learn” because if not proven by “standardized tests” they are the ones “blamed.” In other words, students have been taught partial responsibility for the past four years. The “job” used to be on the teacher to do all the work. Professor Parsons says “learning is your job -- and yours alone” implying that students are held accountable for everything even their grades. Then “Whether you drink deeply, or only gargle is entirely up to you” meaning that if the student wants to succeed they will have to try harder than they were in high school to see the outcome of their deeds (Parsons). Finally, Professor Parsons implies their grades will reflect their lone input and work effort because there is no one else to blame here. His argument that teachers were the reason high schoolers were getting ahead is legitimate. According to a report published by Michigan University explaining Teacher Issues they state, “[t]eachers are the backbone of educations . . . they are the ones who are interacting with the students on a daily basis . . .” which demonstrates the teachers are the ones doing most of the work in high schools ("Urban Education : Teacher Issues"). Students are not taught to handle their…

    • 1089 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Re Reading Analysis

    • 2566 Words
    • 11 Pages

    When i read i use various types of reading strategies. One of those strategies is re-reading. There are times while i am reading where i dose off and miss whatever i was suppose to read. Rereading allows me to get a juste of a part of my book that i have missed and prevents confusion. It's important to reread incase you have missed an important part of you book. Another strategy that i use while reading is visualizing. Visualizing allows me to be more engaged in my book. To me visualizing is kinda like making the book into a movie in your mind.…

    • 2566 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the article, the author puts down his true feeling in the paper like how he doesn’t take any pride in his achievements with students for it was all a lie. He tries to convince students not to quit, not to be afraid of failing, to not search for an easy way out but to face the problem effectively. In real life, if faced against a wall there is no such thing as dropping out so he wants students to prepare for that. Teachers have endured many unacceptable behaviors of students but the real life is not so gentle, so he wants his students to be nice and respectful towards their boss and co-workers and above all to be on time and keep one’s word. He admits that he is to blame for having spoiled students by reading work that didn’t deserved to be read, listening to boring and uncreative ideas. He wants his students to ignore their college experience so far to best prepare them for their professional life after…

    • 928 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Completing lessons 5-7 was a valuable learning experience since it was filled with readings and writing assignments that required a lot of critical thinking.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “I wasn’t taught how to get a job, but I can remember dissecting a frog.” This is a quote from the song, “Don’t stay in School,” by Boyinaband. The message portrayed throughout this song, is that the school system does not teach real life things. The school system is too focused on learning, “negative b plus or minus the square root of b squared.” Instead, of learning how to live in the real world.…

    • 357 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Everyone should have their own concept of teaching. Let the people feel what they are actually learning instead of being controlled by one system. Everyone does not have to all conform just because it is basically easier for the education system to go by. Everybody should be free and do what they please at a reasonable cost in their life without any issues about biased opinions or how things should be taught or done. If there was no system that controlled education it would be a free for all to do what they want to do, learn what they want to learn, and create a better world and we would be stuck in times we are in now. We would be more advanced if people’s own mind sets were to be more open instead of just in one systematic mind set of a conformist ran society. We also would not have to pass the next kid along then just throw them into the world and he be lost not knowing what to do in life. People wonder what the system classifies as uneducated people get into to trouble all the time. The system just passes them along not even caring if the student even grasp the concept of the subject or context in the lesson. The education system has control over people’s lives and chooses to still choose to continue the corrupted system. If people need to destroy the generational system of education and learn a new educational concept to better society. It is just the fact that people are programmed they do not know…

    • 1117 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Great Essays

    As little kids barely entering school we are encourage to do our best. We are inspired and rewarded when we do something right but, as teenagers and adults we are required to know things already. When I was in elementary school we would have to do an exam that the schooling system called benchmarks. Even at a young age we were required to take an exam every month. The difference from now to back then was that we were encouraged, we were pushed to do our best and be the best. When we didn’t understand something we were able to raise our hand and ask question without being scared that people would judge us for asking. Now you ask a question and everyone just stares at you like you are from another planet and I’m guessing that’s how a lot of students didn’t learn things. They were to scared especially when your teacher would say “you are supposed to know this already” but when your last teacher before said “you would learn this next year.” Honestly I loved taking exams in elementary school because I felt more encourage I wasn’t nervous or scared. I…

    • 1323 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    ‪ Looking back on my first term of college I realize I knew what I want to do. Therefore when I receive the schedule for my first four courses I started mapping out my future. However, after the first class I wonder was I up to the challenge. The course requirements were overwhelming. I soon discover I was not prepared for this college experience. In addition, it was apparent; if I did not take action I would fail. I knew I need help. What am I going to do? There were new concepts, for example blackboard, group projects, APA, MLA, Cite and reference as well as many more. During that first week I had many sleep less night think of a solution. Finally, I realize the answer was in front of me. The union had non - credit basic course, during the evening. I was in luck the course were not on the night that Philadelphia University Class. Consequently, I decide to take the Unions basic computer class with a Philadelphia University Professor. It was the best decision I ever made. By the third class I knew how to research subjects I did not understand. Those concepts that I did not…

    • 1384 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For most students getting through classes each day is a struggle, so they resort to new ways to receive good grades on tests and assignments. Teachers make exams a basic competition between who is capable of recalling the most amount of material, not about critical thinking. If memorizing works successfully for pupils from the beginning of kindergarten, they will not be inclined to change their study habits by college. Many schools do not reinforce study techniques to help their undergraduates grasp and apply the information. Only one teacher in my past has truly made me understand the fundamentals of the subject for problem solving. In calculus class my senior year of high school, I struggled the first month because I could not do math without memorizing the steps of each problem. If I did not learn to think about each step critically and implement what we learned in class, I would not have passed. Teachers need to focus on making sure students grasp the material, so students can be strong in the classroom and in the…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays