Letter to the Editor
Editor's note: The following letter is in response to "What freshmen didn't hear during orientation" by Craig Finlay, which appeared in the August 27 issue of the WC.
William Thompson
Issue date: 9/3/04 Section: Opinion
Craig Finlay's advice to entering freshmen asked them to, "Remember: you are just one of thousands of students your professors will have likely taught here. You're forgettable; a means to a paycheck. Just as long as you're not too obvious about your slacking, you'll do fine."
This is egregiously bad advice for freshmen or for that matter for graduate students. The worst thing you can do is fail to engage your teachers and sink into the herd.
You can, of course, "choose" to be forgettable. If you should choose to be forgettable, don't be surprised when no teacher can write you a recommendation for, say, law school because they cannot remember you.
It is far smarter to get to know the faculty, far better to be on a first name basis with your teacher than to be a merely a name in a grade book.
Human beings are interested in, and care about, people who are interested in, and care about, them.
Craig, weren't you paying attention when the professor was discussing the basic psychology of human beings - or were you slacking that day? And, Craig, while we're at it, what about using "just" in two successive sentences? That's lazy writing; as is, for that matter, the repetitive use of "you're" along with "your." Droning prose like that gets tiresome fast.
Didn't you pay attention in journalism class when they were discussing style-or were you slacking on that day, too?
Advice to Craig: Don't shop this clip around when you are going job hunting.
Advice to freshmen: It is far smarter to attend class and participate. You'll enjoy class more, learn more, and probably do better as well.
This is egregiously bad advice for freshmen or for that matter for graduate students. The worst thing you can do is fail to engage your teachers and sink into the herd.
You can, of course, "choose" to be forgettable. If you should choose to be forgettable, don't be surprised when no teacher can write you a recommendation for, say, law school because they cannot remember you.
It is far smarter to get to know the faculty, far better to be on a first name basis with your teacher than to be a merely a name in a grade book.
Human beings are interested in, and care about, people who are interested in, and care about, them.
Craig, weren't you paying attention when the professor was discussing the basic psychology of human beings - or were you slacking that day? And, Craig, while we're at it, what about using "just" in two successive sentences? That's lazy writing; as is, for that matter, the repetitive use of "you're" along with "your." Droning prose like that gets tiresome fast.
Didn't you pay attention in journalism class when they were discussing style-or were you slacking on that day, too?
Advice to Craig: Don't shop this clip around when you are going job hunting.
Advice to freshmen: It is far smarter to attend class and participate. You'll enjoy class more, learn more, and probably do better as well.
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