The College Fear Factor Analysis

The American educational system became a commercial product over the years. Advertising became a norm, and before enrolling in college, potential students will do some research in order to determine college ratings, and what other people think about a specific educational institution. Education costs money, and students want to make sure that their investments will be reasonable. Nevertheless, in the past years, students, besides doing research about a specific college, tend to do a research about the professors who teach certain courses. The reason is simple - to pick the best one from the offered choices. Based on the comments provided by others, students determine if professor would fulfill their expectations to succeed in that class. Ratings

Teaching English Composition, Beth and Julie find a way to convince their students that all of them possess abilities to succeed. Providing explicit guidelines for writing assignments, giving detailed feedback, and understanding students’ perceptions of course material are the main strategies that both professors use in their classes. Beth and Julie encourage students do not give up when faced with challenges. For instance, one of Julie’s students, Collin, says, “When we did the research paper, that scared the hell out of me, she [Julie] encouraged me like nobody has ever encouraged me” (121). Collin considers that Julie gave him the assurance to overcome his fears and succeed even in his further courses. Both professors point out that students have to participate in class activities, be responsible for completing their assignments, and expect to do more than minimal work. Beth considers that students need to be heard and valued. Furthermore, providing constant encouragements makes students feel more comfortable. Julie and Beth show authority in their classroom, but both of them are able to encourage students and reduce the level of anxiety. As a result, students benefit from interactions with their professors and

I had a wonderful experience of taking his class and enjoyed learning the course material. Professor S.B. relies on students’ participation and engagement in class activities. Passive recipients of information have no chances to succeed in his class. Math is a subject where critical thinking skills are extremely important; therefore, making students to think out of the box is the key factor to understand the material. Assigning a lot of problems for homework gives students the opportunity to master knowledge and retain information. Exams that looked different from what was taught in class were applications of material from the book. Instead of going straight forward from the book, the professor made sure that students can apply their knowledge. Definitely, professor’s intention is to prepare students for the next courses and make them responsible for their own learning. Although a few students were able to pass his course, all of them benefited from professor’s help and explanations. I would rate him as a great professor who maintained standards and made students master the subject. Learning process requires time, dedication, and self-discipline. There is not an easy way to succeed in college. Instead, there are instructors who offer support to students, encouraging them to succeed. Learning from instructors’ feedback, students are