10.1: Interacting in the Classroom

Introduction

When it comes to college, success is about more than memorizing formulas or recalling important dates and information. To do well, you need to employ a holistic approach—using all of your skills and making good decisions each day.

Throughout your college journey, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with many different people in and out of the classroom. Although you may have many positive experiences in class, you will also be in situations that may be challenging. For example,

What happens if you disagree with another student during a discussion?
Are there ways to feel comfortable in a course if you don’t like the instructor? Should you turn off your cell phone during class?

Knowing the protocol is not necessarily intuitive, and this module will help you better understand the behavioral expectations of the college environment. You’ll also learn strategies for working with diverse peers and for using the challenges you face as opportunities for growth. Throughout this module, we’ll investigate how you can become more confident, engaged, and connected throughout your college career.

Making the Transition to Higher Education: What You Encounter

Whether you’ve just graduated from high school or have been out of the classroom for decades, you’ll discover many differences between secondary and postsecondary education. The sooner you understand such differences, the sooner you can deal with them.

Some examples of what you might face include the following:

New academic standards. Once you enter college, you’ll probably find yourself working harder in school than ever before. Compared with high school, instructors often present more material and at a faster pace. There may be fewer tests, but the grading might be tougher. You’ll have more to read, more to write, more problems to solve, and more to remember.

New level of independence. College instructors typically give less guidance about how or when to study. You may not get reminders about when assignments are due or when quizzes and tests will take place. You probably won’t get study sheets before a test. Overall, you might receive less consistent feedback about how well you are doing in each of your courses.

Don’t let any of this hands-off environment tempt you into putting off work until the last minute. You will still be held accountable for all coursework. And anything that’s said in class or included in assigned readings might appear on an exam.

Differences in teaching styles. Instructors at colleges, universities, and vocational schools are often steeped in their subject matter. Many did not take courses on how to teach and might not be as interesting as some of your high school teachers. Some professors also might seem more focused on research than on teaching.

Larger playing field. The institution you’ve just joined might seem immense, impersonal, and even frightening. The sheer size of the campus, the variety of courses offered, and the large number of departments can all add up to a confusing array of academic options.

More students and more diversity. Your college might enroll hundreds or even thousands more students than your high school does. So the range of diversity among these students might surprise you.

You are now responsible for structuring your time and creating new relationships. Perhaps more than ever before, you’ll find that your life is your own creation. You are free to set different goals, explore alternative ways of thinking, change habits, and expand your circle of friends. All of these opportunities can add up to a new identity or a new way of being in the world.

Making the Transition to Higher Education: How to Cope

Entering college is filled with many different decisions and options for you to choose. At first, this world of choices might seem overwhelming or even frightening. You might feel that you’re just going through the motions of being a student or playing a role that you’ve never rehearsed.

That feeling is understandable. Use it to your advantage. After all, you are assuming a new role in life—a student in higher education. And just as actors enter the minds of the characters they portray, you can take on the character of a master student.

When you’re willing to take responsibility for the quality of your education, you can create the future of your dreams. Keep the following strategies in mind:

Decrease the unknowns. To reduce surprises, anticipate changes. Before classes begin, get a map of the campus and walk through the buildings and other areas—perhaps with a classmate or friend. Visit your instructors in their offices and introduce yourself. Anything you can do to get familiar with the new place will help. In addition, consider buying your textbooks before class begins. Scan them to get a preview of your courses.

Admit your feelings—whatever they are. School can be an intimidating experience for new students. People of diverse cultures, adult learners, commuters, and people with disabilities may feel excluded. Anyone can feel anxious, isolated, homesick, or worried.

Those emotions are common among new students, and there’s nothing wrong with them. Simply admitting the truth about how you feel—to yourself and to someone else—can help you cope. And you can almost always do something constructive in the present moment, no matter how you feel.

If your feelings about this transition to higher education make it hard for you to carry out the activities of daily life—going to class, working, studying, and relating to other people—then get professional help. Start with a counselor at the student health service on your campus. The mere act of seeking help can make a difference.

Allow time for transition. You don’t have to master the transition to higher education right away. Give it some time. Also, plan your academic schedule with your needs for transition in mind. Balance time-intensive courses with other classes that are not as demanding.

Find resources. Of all resources, people are the most important. You can isolate yourself, study hard, and get a good education. However, doing just that is not the most powerful use of your tuition money. When you establish relationships with teachers, staff members, fellow students, and employers, you can get a great education. Build a network of people who will personally support your success in school.

Make peace with new technology. Turn back the clock to 2001. Google was just a few years old. There was no Facebook, no Twitter, no iPad, and no iPhone. Compare that to today’s world, when these services and products are used by millions of people.

If you don’t feel comfortable with the latest technology, welcome to the club. Students in higher education are asked to engage with technology at a level that has no precedent in our history.

To make the transition to this technological world, remember that it’s okay to admit the truth whenever you’re outside of your comfort zone. It’s also okay to get help.

Unless your college orientation does not cover this, go to your academic advisor to ask about help desks, workshops or classes, and other campus resources for getting up to speed with the latest technology. Find out how to access your school’s computer network, wireless network, website, e-mail system, and computers and printers available to students.

One way to overcome fear of change is to get hands-on experience with digital tools as soon as possible.

Succeeding in School at Any Age

If you’re an adult learner, you’re on a strong footing. With a rich store of life experiences, you can ask meaningful questions and make connections between course work and daily life. Any abilities that you’ve developed to work on teams, manage projects, meet deadlines, and solve problems are assets. Many instructors will especially enjoy working with you.

First, acknowledge your concerns. Adult learners might express any of the following fears:

• I’ll be the oldest person in all my classes.
• I’ve been out of the classroom too long.
• I’m concerned about my math, reading, and writing skills.
• I’m worried about making tuition payments.
• How will I ever make the time to study, on top of everything else I’m doing?
• I won’t be able to keep up with all the new technology.

Those concerns are understandable. However, college classrooms are more diverse than ever before. Adult learners can take advantage of evening classes, weekend classes, summer classes, distance learning, and online courses.

Here are some steps you can take as you prepare to become a college student:

Ease into it. If you’re new to higher education, ease into it. You can choose to attend school part- time before making a full-time commitment. If you’ve taken college-level classes in the past, find out if any of those credits will transfer into your current program.

Plan ahead. By planning a week or month at a time, you get a bigger picture of your multiple roles as a student, an employee, and a family member. With that awareness, you can make conscious adjustments in the number of hours you devote to each domain of activity in your life.

Delegate tasks. If you have children, delegate some of the household chores to them. Or start a meal co-op in your neighborhood. Cook dinner for yourself and someone else one night each week. In return, ask that person to furnish you with a meal on another night. A similar strategy can apply to child care and other household tasks.

Get to know other returning students. Introduce yourself to other adult learners. Being in the same classroom gives you an immediate bond. You can exchange work, home, or cell phone numbers and build a network of mutual support. Some students adopt a buddy system, pairing up with another student in each class to complete assignments and prepare for tests.

Find common ground with traditional students. Traditional and nontraditional students have many things in common. They seek to gain knowledge and skills for their chosen careers. They desire financial stability and personal fulfillment. And, like their older peers, many younger students are concerned about whether they have the skills to succeed in higher education.

Consider pooling resources with younger students. Share notes, edit one another’s papers, and form study groups. Look for ways to build on one another’s strengths. If you want help with using a computer for assignments, you might ask a younger student for help. In group projects and case studies, you can expand the discussion by sharing insights from your experiences.

Enlist your employer’s support. Let your employer in on your educational plans. Point out how the skills you gain in the classroom will help you meet work objectives. Offer informal seminars at work to share what you’re learning in school. You might find that your company reimburses its employees for some tuition costs or even grants time off to attend classes.

Get extra mileage out of your current tasks. Look for ways to relate your schoolwork to your job. For example, when you’re assigned a research paper, choose a topic that relates to your current job tasks. Some schools even offer academic credit for work and life experience.

Review your subjects before you start classes. Say that you’ve registered for trigonometry and you haven’t taken a math class since high school. Consider brushing up on the subject before classes begin. Also, talk with future instructors about ways to prepare for their classes.

“Publish” your schedule. After you plan your study and class sessions for the week, write up your schedule and post it in a place where others who live with you will see it. If you use an online calendar, print out copies to put in your school binder or on your refrigerator door, bathroom mirror, or kitchen cupboard.

Engage family and friends in your success. Ask the key people in your life for help. Share your reason for getting a degree, and talk about what your whole family has to gain from this change in your life. Ask them to think of ways that they can support your success in school and to commit to those actions. Make your own education a joint mission that benefits everyone.

Enroll Your Instructor in Your Success

It’s important to view instructors as partners in your education. You have the power to influence whether that relationship is positive or negative, and you get to decide what types of experiences you glean from each class. Here are some tips on how to build a positive connection with your instructor and how to handle the situation if things go awry:

Research the instructor. When deciding what classes to take, look for formal and informal sources of information about instructors. At some schools, students post informal evaluations of instructors on websites. Also talk to students who have taken courses from the instructor you’re researching.

Show interest in class. Students give teachers moment-by-moment feedback in class. That feedback comes through posture, eye contact, responses to questions, and participation in class discussions.

Release judgments. Maybe your instructor reminds you of someone you don’t like—your annoying aunt, a rude store clerk, or the fifth-grade teacher who kept you after school. Your attitudes are in your own head and beyond the instructor’s control. Likewise, an instructor’s political, religious, and societal beliefs are not related to teaching ability. Being aware of such things can help you let go of negative judgments.

Get to know the instructor. Meet with your instructor during office hours. Teachers who seem boring in class can be fascinating in person.

If you are meeting with your instructor, come to the meeting prepared with a list of questions and any materials you’ll need. During the meeting, relax. Avoid questions that might offend your instructor, such as I missed class on Monday. Did we do anything important?

Open up to diversity. A Latino can teach English literature. A white teacher can have something valid to say about African music. A teacher in a wheelchair can command the attention of a hundred people in a lecture hall. Don’t let assumptions about race and ethicity, gender, sexuality, and disability hinder your learning.

Form your own opinion about each instructor. You might hear conflicting reports about teachers from other students. The same instructor could be described by two different students as a riveting speaker and as completely lacking in charisma. Decide for yourself.

Seek alternatives. You might feel more comfortable with another teacher’s style or method of organizing course materials. Consider changing teachers, asking another teacher for help outside class, or attending an additional section taught by a different instructor.

Avoid excuses. Instructors know them all. Most teachers can see a snow job coming before the first flake hits the ground.

Submit professional work. Prepare papers and projects as if you were submitting them to an employer.

Accept criticism. Learn from your teachers’ comments about your work. It is a teacher’s job to give feedback. Don’t take it personally.

Use course evaluations. In many classes, you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate the instructor. Write about the aspects of the class that did not work well for you. Offer specific ideas for improvement. Also note what did work well.

Communicate effectively by phone and e-mail. Find out how your instructors prefer to be contacted outside of class. Most have specific preferences about what they want you to include in a voice mail or e-mail.

Take further steps, if appropriate. Sometimes, severe conflict develops between students and instructors. In such cases, you might decide to file a complaint or ask for help from a school administrator or program director. Be prepared to document your case in writing. Describe specific actions that created problems. Stick to the facts—events that other class members can verify. Your school has grievance procedures that apply in these cases. Use them. You are a consumer of education and have a right to fair treatment.

Classroom Civility—What’s in it For You

How you act in a situation conveys messages about what you may think or feel, even if you are not communicating with words. Consider an example: A student arrives 15 minutes late to a lecture and lets the door slam behind her. She pulls a fast-food burger out of a crackling paper bag. Then, her cell phone rings at full volume—and she answers it. Behaviors like these send a message to everyone in the room: I’m ignoring you.

Without civility, you lose. Even a small problem with classroom civility can create a barrier for everyone. Learning gets interrupted. Trust breaks down. Your tuition dollars go down the drain. You deserve to enter classrooms that are free of discipline problems and bullies. Many schools have formal policies about classroom civility. Find out what policies apply to you. The consequences for violating them can be serious and may include dismissal or legal action.

With civility, you win. When you treat instructors with respect, you’re more likely to be treated that way in return. A respectful relationship with an instructor could turn into a favorable reference letter, a mentorship, a job referral, or a friendship that lasts for years after you graduate. Politeness pays.

Classroom civility does not mean that you have to be passive or insincere. You can present your opinions with passion and even disagree with an instructor in a way that leaves everyone enriched rather than threatened.

Lack of civility boils down to a group of habits. Like any other habits, these can be changed. The following suggestions reflect common sense, and they make an uncommon difference:

Attend classes regularly and on time. If you know that you’re going to miss a class or be late, let your instructor know. Take the initiative to ask your instructor or another student about what you missed.

Do not disrupt class. If you arrive late, close the door quietly and take a seat. When you know that you will have to leave class early, tell your instructor before class begins, and sit near an exit. If you leave class to use the restroom or handle an emergency, do so quietly.

Participate fully during class. Take notes and join the discussions. Turn off your cell phone or any other electronic device that you don’t need for class. Remember that sleeping, texting, or doing work for another class is a waste of your time and money. Instructors notice distracting activities and take them as a sign of your lack of interest and commitment. So do employers.

Wait until class has been dismissed before packing up your things. Instructors often give assignments or make a key point at the end of a class period. Be there when it happens.

Communicate respect. When you speak in class, begin by addressing your instructor as Ms., Mrs., Mr., Dr., Professor, or whatever the teacher prefers.

Discussions gain value when everyone gets a chance to speak. Show respect for others by not monopolizing class discussions. Refrain from side conversations and profanity. When presenting viewpoints that conflict with those of classmates or your instructor, combine the passion for your opinion with respect for the opinions of others. Similarly, if you disagree with a class requirement or a grade you received, then talk to your instructor about it after class in a respectful way. In a private setting, your ideas will get more attention.

Respect gets communicated in small details. Don’t make distracting noises. Cover your mouth if you yawn or cough. Avoid wearing inappropriate clothing. And even if you meet your future spouse in class, refrain from public displays of affection.

Embrace diversity. Successful students—and teachers—come in endless variety. They are old and young, male and female. They come from every culture, race, and ethnic group. Part of civility is staying open to the value that other people have to offer.

See civility as a contribution. Every class you enter has the potential to become a community of people who talk openly, listen fully, share laughter, and arrive at life-changing insights. These are master student qualities. Every time you demonstrate them, you make a contribution to your community.