Lately I have been coming across a lot of affirmation addressing lower productivity at home due to the pandemic. “You are not defined by your productivity,” one source said. I have been told that perhaps a person’s learning style may just not fit the way teaching is happening right now. While I find all of that nice and good, I just don’t find comfort in the reinforcement of mediocrity. Yes, it can be harder to focus at home, away from libraries, study spaces, or offices where productivity is designed into the space, but that does not mean that life has to stop or even slow down as a result of this global pandemic. It seems to me that some people thought being sent home would be like an extended vacation, but the globe keeps turning and unlike Christmas and New Year’s, the world never stops. Many schools have offered to allow students to take their classes for a Pass/Fail credit, and while I support the policy for its encouragement of academic curiosity and fostering of growth, I think the Pass/Fail credit in this instance can be used as a cop out. I acknowledge the arguments for Pass/Fail during this time, suggesting it creates a more equitable grading system, leveling the playing field between those who have spaces where they can focus and time to do their school work versus those who may not have a space to themselves to focus on schoolwork or family responsibilities that take away time from studying. Nonetheless, every single student is also presented with the opportunity to prove their resiliency and adaptability during this time. These times are unprecedented, nobody has ever seen anything like this nor will we see anything of this magnitude for quite some time, so I feel as though if I conquer this time, nothing will be as personally challenging. I figure I have a couple options for my learning. I can complain about how my Professor’s current teaching methods are ineffective and wallow away with poor or slightly passing grades, or I can put in the time with my Professor’s work and extra time with additional sources—like the textbook, the TA’s, or any of the thousands of online resources—to understand coursework and continue learning. The fact is, every person who chooses to attend a four-year college has the opportunity to spend four years of their life learning, just learning. My full-time job right now is learning. I am so fortunate to be able to just read and learn. Time belongs to the student in college and allows them to learn purely for themselves for sake of learning. Learning is a resource that is rapidly abundant in colleges but becomes limited by time and access outside of college.
Much of this inspiration is rooted in stories of my grandfather’s time in college. He grew up impoverished with a single mother but made his way to a top American University. To him, University was the opportunity of a lifetime. He took extra classes each year and satisfied his graduation requirement by the end of his Junior year, leaving his senior year for debauchery…just kidding. During his senior year, he took a host of classes outside of his primary realm of studies. I’m sure he would agree with me when I say that his senior year courses made him a more well-rounded citizen better equipped to take on anything the world may throw at him. To me, relinquishing a college education by choosing not to squeeze every last drop out of the education is entitled and demonstrates a lack of appreciation for the privilege of attending college. Of course, a significant part of the college experience comes from being social and interacting with peers, but I think students can still strike a strong balance between making being social and learning as much as they can to discover what makes them excited. Discovering what you love is an amazing feeling, so much better than anything a video game or a social media platform can control. The deep joy derived from knowing enough about a subject to talk about it extensively and even know what you don’t know is simply unparalleled. Light the fire within you.
To anybody that needs that last push to finish this or that or has been looking to make change but can’t find the impetus, you can make it happen. The time is yours. Don’t let Mark Zuckerberg, Satya Nadella, Tim Cook, or anybody else take your time. Those people thrive off of your time, flip the script and take back your time. Use your time to better yourself. Learn something, even if it is just something about yourself. Take your time and learn something.
Life is ours for the taking,
J
Oh, to be back in the SciLi again...
Comments