Homework, stress and the concerns of time are already established as central to the mindset of students on campus after only two weeks of classes at St. Olaf. This reality reveals layers of the culture of being an Ole. As soon as classes begin, the feeling among freshmen is that now ‘it’ begins. The studying and stress will now ensue. What is still unclear is just how much homework is going to affect our lives and what level of work it will take to achieve the grades we want, whilst still enjoying life. An expectation that college will be harder than high school certainly exists, but to what extent and in what manner is still to be discovered. This creates differing norms between freshmen and upperclassmen as expectations of workload have
…show more content…
St Olaf values hard work and expects an environment where students will be pursuing their studies as their number one priority. Clear symbols of homework are the many study spaces on campus, evidence of the expectation that much of your time will be spent there. The studious nature of Oles is obvious from these spaces, often full to the brim with students on laptops and noses in textbooks. It is also clear from the size and weight of the hundreds of backpacks everywhere on campus, that students use time outside of class primarily to do homework, carrying around their textbooks and keeping on top of reading in spare moments. ‘The Values Americans Live By’ gives a helpful insight into the attitudes that cause such a fast paced and hard working environment on campus. Students pursue self-improvement and challenges to grow into efficient and independent people. These values are reinforced by the professors who seek to keep students working hard and thinking analytically about their …show more content…
It is not accepted to be completely happy with your work or feel positive that you have done everything you could have done. Students feel that they cannot accomplish enough and that they aren’t involved in enough activities to consider that they are living life to the full. We think that the people who are busy all of the time should have more respect because they are able to accomplish so much. Life becomes about accomplishment instead of the true value of what it is we are accomplishing and being ‘busy’ is more valued that doing something of
St Olaf values hard work and expects an environment where students will be pursuing their studies as their number one priority. Clear symbols of homework are the many study spaces on campus, evidence of the expectation that much of your time will be spent there. The studious nature of Oles is obvious from these spaces, often full to the brim with students on laptops and noses in textbooks. It is also clear from the size and weight of the hundreds of backpacks everywhere on campus, that students use time outside of class primarily to do homework, carrying around their textbooks and keeping on top of reading in spare moments. ‘The Values Americans Live By’ gives a helpful insight into the attitudes that cause such a fast paced and hard working environment on campus. Students pursue self-improvement and challenges to grow into efficient and independent people. These values are reinforced by the professors who seek to keep students working hard and thinking analytically about their …show more content…
It is not accepted to be completely happy with your work or feel positive that you have done everything you could have done. Students feel that they cannot accomplish enough and that they aren’t involved in enough activities to consider that they are living life to the full. We think that the people who are busy all of the time should have more respect because they are able to accomplish so much. Life becomes about accomplishment instead of the true value of what it is we are accomplishing and being ‘busy’ is more valued that doing something of