Two posts about WOTA.
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Well this is the place to vent our problems so here I go. I am a biology major with a pre-med emphasis so most of my classes are of science. There are no other classes that i should have to take other than those that are to help further my knowledge in my particular major. Freshman and sophomores are required to take gened courses before they start their classes for their major's. Since I'm a bio major why do I have to take a world of the arts class? Yeah it teaches me other aspects in the world of art and music and theater, but when am i going to use that in my future? I'm not very interested in those required courses therefore I don't put much effort into them and I end up with not as good of a grade as I want, but that's just me. They are also a waste of time. I could be taking classes for my major but instead I'm wasting time and money on these required classes.
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Learning goes both ways bub! The effort you put in is the effort you get out. This isn't high school anymore.
ReplyDelete9:59 - your comment makes no sense. Are you implying that the effort students put into their classes is the effort that professors put out in their classes? That would be ludicrous.
ReplyDeleteOverall, in response to these posts here's my opinion:
WOTA doesn't ask for much. My guess is that it's not hard to get an A in WOTA (at least it was not from my experience). The requirements are so basic and easy to fulfill, it's not even worth complaining about. The class really doesn't take that much time away from one's daily schedule.
Also, WOTA made me aware of how much art, music, and theater performances/displays there are available for students to see at a relatively low price (or even for free) on campus all throughout the school year. Although I'm not big into shows and art galleries, I enjoyed it while I went. Some of the dances, plays, art, and music ensembles I observed for the course were actually quite enjoyable to my surprise. And I wouldn't have known it had I not been exposed to it.
So basically, take WOTA and make it fun. It's easy to get an A, and you'll get exposed to things in the art world that you maybe never expected. I mean, you might have fun. So just enjoy it, and make the best of it. It won't kill you. And hey, if you're looking to date, having to go see those shows creates a really good opportunity to ask someone out.. ("hey I've got this WOTA show I have to see, and it would probably be a lot less boring if I had someone to see it with... ")
12:06 hits it right on the head. We all have to deal with required classes we don't want to take. We know we can't not take them so make it the best you can.
ReplyDeleteProf. Chaos
So not the point. WOTA sucks. We all know it. The problem is why administration isn't doing anything about it. I'm not against taking requireed classes. But they should be good required classes. Bad required classes need changing.
ReplyDeleteWhy is WOTA not a good required course? Is it because of a lethargic professor? A huge class where the prof doesn't know your name? You won't use the knowledge you've gained later in life? It's not easy enough to get an A? You don't like going to the events? You've got to give some more reasons why WOTA isn't good. A whiny student who probably doesn't even know what's truly good for him/her is not going to get the response they want from administration. Basically none of the problems I mentioned can really be solved by administration. (If it's a really awful professor, maybe you can get somewhere with that...)
ReplyDeleteOverall I say taking WOTA (and other required Gen Ed courses) is just an add-on to the plethora of knowledge/experience you have been gaining in all of your other required classes. Don't be mad about it, and don't expect administration to just nix it or something. Maybe the presentation of Gen Ed could be better, maybe students should stop bitching about it and try to enjoy it and LEARN something. Every area of study has something to offer. I happen to think WOTA is one of the best Gen Eds because it's easy, not time consuming, and you get to see shows. I saw a jazz ensemble, a play, a big dance performance, and some interesting art. It wasn't torture, and I'm glad I got the experience. Just suck it up and get the most out of it.
Well, it's a self-perpetuating problem. Students hate it because their teachers don't care, and the teachers hate it because the students don't care. The trouble is that this situation is bigger than one person. How do you get everyone involved in WOTA to get excited about the class?
ReplyDeleteResponsibility is tough, but sometimes we just have to take it because we only have power over ourselves. Why should you complain about the teacher or the subject? If you try to pull what you pulled up there, NO ONE will hear you and NOTHING will change. You can't take someone else's responsibility. So take your own; that's all you can do.