Reflections On a New Semester
Tick, tick, tick. We’re closing in on the end of August, which means I’m starting to hyperventilate as the first day of class draws near.
The life of a professor right before the new academic year is busier than most students think, I’ll bet. I’m revising syllabi, updating classroom notes and slides, making certain I’m familiar with the latest versions of the software I demonstrate in class, and gearing up for the onslaught of committee meetings and service obligations that always greet the new semester. Already my wire “to do” basket is starting to fill — isn’t it too early for that? — and I’ve just re-learned how to set up a survey in Flashlight and finally made an appointment to learn the e-portfolio software TaskStream. And in the meantime, I have Harrow editing and research-related projects and fiction writing to keep me occupied, as well.
In the midst of all this, I can’t help but pause and imagine — with a touch of envy — my students cheerfully buying their new fall wardrobes and packing their bags as they look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.
Am I projecting an overly idyllic mood on student life? Maybe, but I was one of those university students who actually paused once in a while to think, “you know, I’m going to miss these days when I graduate.” And I did. So much so that I went back to school for the next six years in order to spend the rest of my life in academia.
I wonder if students still feel excited about attending university, or do they see it only as a means to an end? Many of my students seem terribly eager to get out and enter the dreary 8-to-5 working world. I can’t imagine what the attraction could be — a steady paycheck, I suppose, and a sense of independence. But I wish I could tell them all to slow down and enjoy the time the university gives them to question, explore, imagine, and reflect. I wish I could tell them to stop looking ahead for a few moments and pause to look around, instead.
Every fall I scramble to get ready for the new semester and groan at the prospect of fighting for parking spaces, teaching 8 a.m. courses, attending endless committee meetings, and grading hundreds of papers and exams. But at the same time I can’t help but look forward to that magical moment when the quiet campus comes to life again, full of expectation and promise for a new academic year.
I hope my students sense that magic, as well.
drupagliassotti @ August 19, 2008