By Eliana Diamond
I come from a family of educators; my brothers are teachers, my mother is an experienced preschool educator, my grandmother was an elementary school teacher, and my grandfather was a mathematics professor at UMass Boston. It comes as no surprise therefore, that I believe in the power and value of education.
That being said, I am not immune to the occasional drift-off during class. It can be hard to focus for an hour and fifteen minutes. However, as I enter my last year of Stern, I would like to ensure that I glean the most from my classes. It will be much easier to accomplish this if those around me carried the same attitude. Therefore, I write this not from a “holier than thou” stance, but rather as a way of reintroducing education to our YU college experiences.
I feel primarily motivated to appreciate my schooling knowing that many people would jump at the opportunity to occupy my seat in the classroom. (No worries, the thousands of dollars my family pays in tuition comes as a close second). Especially as a woman, I feel immense gratitude that I was born in this country, in this century, and with the resources I have so that I can receive a higher education.
Knowledge is power, and countries who limit women’s rights start by limiting their access to education. The more I learn about politics, economics, biology, psychology, and English literature, the more knowledge I have at my fingertips to exert my independence. These subjects not only provide me with fascinating content at my disposal, but they have equipped me with critical thinking skills to make important decisions, form nuanced, well-rounded opinions, and engage thoughtfully in society.
For example, while you may never be quizzed on the Civil War after you leave history class, it may be valuable to at least know the century it occurred in. Not only will you sound smarter, but you will be smarter. Knowing that the Civil War took place between 1861-1865 and that it took a full century after Lincoln’s emancipation of enslaved people to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says a lot about racial discrimination in this country. This knowledge also provides a framework for thinking about current social discussions, other historical events, and can even foster emotional skills such as empathy and self-awareness. Receiving an education is an entrance ticket to living thoughtfully in our society and sounding intelligent in the workforce.
I get it though. Sometimes classes are requirements. But “requirement” does not have to be synonymous with “valueless.” In fact, if a class is listed as a requirement, that is probably because it is important in making you a well-rounded, smarter individual. While I have also struggled through classes in subjects I feel less interested in or in some unengaging classes, we must take active responsibility for our learning; tell the professors when the class is going too slowly, or come into class with an attitude of learning, and try in any way to get the most out of these less motivating classes.
If you have to sit in the class anyway, you might as well enjoy it. If science is not your favorite subject but you are required to take a biology class, then try to use this as an opportunity to learn about Hashem’s creations, or figure out how your body works, or understand the systems in the world around you. Try to look at these subjects through whatever lens you connect with. If you believe English is “not your thing,” then use your literature class as a chance to work on your analytical skills. These will come in handy with any Jewish text you learn, tefillah you explore, or news article you read. Read the books. Know more Shakespeare; there is no harm in being able to discuss the literature you’re reading these days with your next-door-neighbor.
I understand that sometimes you just don’t click with the professor or the professor is simply not heading your feedback. In this case, I will admit, there is only so much you can do. This is a two-way street, and professors also need to make sure they are engaging their students. I often find, however, that professors feel a need to cater to the middle of the class. If the median of the class raises its standards, then perhaps the professors will adapt to these advances. This effort will take a lot of time, but hang in there, progress takes time. I heard it even took the U.S. 100 years to enact the Civil Rights Act after the Civil War ended…
Students at YU are smart. They work hard and get good grades, but this cannot be the only goal. When you don’t pay attention in class, professors notice. While this might not affect your participation grade, asking repetitive questions reflects poorly on you and slows down the class for everyone else. While this might even be the intended goal for some, it is excruciating to listen to the professors repeat themselves. Why not just listen the first time and let them teach you more things? Get your money’s worth.
The bigger problem with not paying attention in class is the potential for disrespecting your professors in the process. As Jewish students, every way we conduct ourselves is a potential for fulfilling a Kiddush Hashem. On the flipside though, we risk performing a Chillul Hashem with every misstep.
My family of educators has given me the chance to view my schooling from the other side of the classroom. Teachers work hard to prepare their classes, they feel passionately about the subject material, and they care deeply about you, their students. We must humanize our professors even in the subjects we take less interest in. Try to avoid speaking ill of them to your friends, meditate on their perspective and what they are trying to accomplish with the class, and try to look attentive because they’ll notice when you aren’t.
The Jewish people, no matter what population they surrounded themselves with, have always been considered studious and rigorous in their studies, be they religious or secular. Let’s take it upon ourselves to let that remain true. If nothing else, the one request I genuinely beg of you is this: please don’t assume that I don’t care about my classes. Because I do. YU is full of future doctors, business entrepreneurs, computer scientists, educators, and more, so let’s take it upon ourselves to pay a bit more attention in class and invest in this gift of higher education.
Photo Caption: 245 Lexington Avenue building on the Beren campus
Photo Credit: The YU Observer