Everyone has at least one. If you asked them, they could probably name it right off the top of their head. The class they dread attending. The class that isn't necessarily hard. It might even be on a topic you are interested in....BUT, the instructor is boring. Or, sometimes, the material is boring. The book is boring. You are boring. What??!! Whoops. Forget that one! Seriously. You will have classes you don't like. I did. My friends did. Sometimes they were the same, sometimes not. What's the catch? You often have to take that dreaded class for some reason. Major requirement. Core requirement. Any way it shakes out, you have to take it.
So, how do you make the best of a boring class? This really isn't an easy question to answer. It depends on the situation. Does the instructor give you a lot of information that you need to know, they just do it in a way that lets your mind wander off to what's happening on Facebook instead of in the classroom? In that case, just try writing down whatever they say. Even if you write every word, at least you are keeping yourself busy and you look like you are paying attention. A similar strategy can be used for the boring books. Keep track of the most important page every couple of pages to keep yourself in the moment.
A simple thing that you can do to make MOST classes more interesting is to raise your hand. I know. You are thinking "Whatev!" But, it is true. Ask a question. Answer a questions. Whichever you choose, you will have added a new voice to the classroom. And, really. That is part of what college should be about. Learning to listen to and appreciate new voices. To find your own voice. To raise that voice and add it to the discussion.
So maybe, the question to ask yourself next time isn't "when is class over," but rather "how do I use my voice to make this class more interesting to me?"
(C) 2012 Jane E. Brooks
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