THE REPORTER
//
NOV. 1, 2010
FORUM
//
15
//
// FORUM The Reporter
By Andrea Orellana andrea.orellana001@mymdc.net
Are professors hurting us by letting us out of class early?
Student Voices
LAZAROGAMIO.CARBONMADE.COM
On any given day, getting dismissed early from class is the fun plastic toy at the bottom of the cereal box. It’s not an entirely uncommon occurrence and even less likely is the possibility that you’ll catch someone complaining about it. There are several good reasons for that. Let’s look at the obvious one first: free time is always a pleasant surprise. This is Florida after all and I’d be willing to bet my future first-born child that whenever you get an unexpected day off because of an approaching tropical storm, you sigh a sigh of relief and think, “free time, how nice.” The free time you acquire can be put to good use: by taking it to study independently and catching up on missed coursework or getting extra practice with a subject. In the long term, getting out of class sooner than expected will actually put you ahead. What is college all about, if it’s not about making efficient use of your independent time? You might be from the other school of thought, the one that agrees that paying for classes means paying for class time. But, when you graduate, does your diploma retell the precise amount of time you spent in class or does it document a fact less minute than that? From a more emotive point-ofview: if your professor is so eager to dismiss you, is this really a professor whose time is worth fighting for? Also, your typical college professor is paid for their knowledge. They will undoubtedly know more about productive class time than you, despite the twelve or so years of schooling we’ve gone through to get here. So, trust in him or her when they let you out minutes, or even hours, before the figurative bell rings. Chances are, they know what they’re doing.
By Rachel Rosenberg rachel.rosenberg001@mymdc.net
LAZARO GAMIO / THE REPORTER
No one whines about being dismissed from class early, but students would definitely say something if they were let out of a two-hour class after only 30 minutes. Students aren’t nerds just because they want class to continue. Students are right to complain if a professor dismisses class more than an hour early. It’s a waste of our time. Yes, some professors might be tired from another job or might just run out of material, but a student’s time is just as valuable. Letting students out of class early is a flagrant waste of money. One two-hour, three-credit class costs around three to four hundred dollars. How many students would pay for two hours and receive only 30 minutes? Full-time professors at Miami Dade College are paid a salary, this means they get paid to teach for a block of time, whether they teach for the whole time or not. Is it ethical for MDC students to get cheated like this? Another valid point is that students won’t learn as much if they are released early from class. Classes are scheduled for a certain amount of time because that amount of time is needed to teach the coursework. “Releasing students early doesn’t give any professor sufficient time to teach their [required] materials adequately,” said Jesus Santana, 25, a tutor at Kendall Campus Speech Center. Teachers can “cover themselves” by telling students to study from their textbooks or review their notes, but there is only so much that can be self-taught. With that said, is it fair to students when professors let them out early from class? In my opinion, and I’d venture to say many will agree with me, it’s definitely not.
The Reporter is the free biweekly student newspaper at Miami Dade College. All content is produced by MDC students.The opinions in this newspaper do not necessarily represent those of the administration, faculty, or the student body.
Editorial Board Monique O. Madan Editor-in-Chief Alexandra de Armas North Campus Bureau Chief Julie McConnell Interim Kendall Campus Bureau Chief Lazaro Gamio Interim Wolfson Campus Bureau Chief Hector Gonzalez Sports Editor Andrea Orellana Forum Editor Anna Carabeo Multimedia Editor
Art Department Lazaro Gamio Art Director Akeem Brunson North Campus Photo Editor Gregory Castillo Kendall Campus Photo Editor Federico Arango Video Technician
Issue Staff Ayoyemi Ajimatanrareje, Alain Bichotte, Carolina del Busto, Zayda Costa, Carlos Fernandez, Jennifer Fumero, Tiffany Garcia, Saeli Gutierrez, Vanessa Martinas, Paula Omana, Mark Overton, Andrea Perdomo, Mark Pulaski, Kirsten Rincon, Rachel Rosenberg, Monica Suarez, Rafael Tur, J.C. Urbina, Natalie Valdes, Bianca Vargas, Roberto Zerbino
Advertising Gregory Torrales gregoryj.torrales001@mymdc.net (786) 237-8414
Letters to the Editor The Reporter welcomes letters to the editor. All submissions should be 300 words or less and must be typed. The writer must sign their full name, phone number, address, student number, and e-mail address on the letter in order to be considered. Faculty and staff should include the title, department, and extension. All letters are subject to editing. Letters can be sent via e-mail to mdc.thereporter@gmail.com, with the subject “letter to the editor.”
Bureaus North Campus Bureau 11380 NW 27th Ave. Room 4209 Miami, FL 33167 (305) 237-1254 By: Alain Bichotte, Gregory Castillo, Carlos Fernandez, Vanessa Martinas, Andrea Perdomo, Kirsten Rincon
What do you think when teachers let you out of class earlier than scheduled?
Marion Sanchez, 20, psychology major at Wolfson Campus. "Sometimes if I feel we aren’t being productive, I’m relieved but other times when we’re not taking advantage of the time, I feel robbed. Robbed of time, money and knowledge."
VISIT US ONLINE: WWW.MDC.EDU/THEREPORTER
Patrick Renaud, 18, criminal justice major at North Campus. "It depends on the professor. If they let you out early every time, I think they're just trying to get rid of you."
Kasandra Lima, 21, psychology major at Kendall Campus. “Excited. Because I'm one step closer to going home.”
Kendall Campus Bureau 11011 SW 104th St. Room M239 Miami, FL 33176 (305) 237-2157 Wolfson Campus Bureau 300 NE Second Ave. Suite 1610 Miami, FL 33132 (305) 237-3368 Manolo Barco Media Adviser mbarco@mdc.edu (305) 237-1255 (305) 237-2323 (305) 237-3477
NEWS TIPS? Let us know at: mdc.thereporter@gmail.com (305) 237-1253