Keith M. Parsons in “Message to My Freshman Students” explains how he addresses his first year students. Parsons says that it is the student’s job to learn and pass all of their classes because they are on their own. He outlines the differences between a college professor and a teacher. It is not his job to guide his students, but for him to lead his freshman to the fountain of knowledge. It is not his job whether his students take the knowledge that he is giving them. Parsons classifies some freshman as students who are always late and often disengaged and distracted. He is basically giving his first year students a brutal awakening, so they will know what to expect in the following years of college.
I take issue with how Parsons expects his first year students to immediately make the transition from high school to college without any help from their professor. College is much different from high school, and every first year student is going to have to do some adjusting. Parsons said that he is not your teacher, but your professor. Parsons feels that it is a teacher’s responsibility to guide and make sure that their students do not fail their course. He is basically saying he does not care if his students pass or fail because it was his inexperienced first year student’s choice. Parsons fails to realize that not all first year students can adapt to the old- fashioned way of learning that universities us; some freshman need guidance because they had teachers guiding them all the way through high school. When I made the transition from high school, it took me a while to adjust to the college lifestyle. This is the first times I have been away from my parents for an extended period of time. My parents always kept an eye on me to make sure that I would be doing my studies, but now it is my responsibility to make sure I keep up with my work. It would took even longer if all of my professors had the mindset that Parsons displays.
I take issue with how Parsons expects his first year students to immediately make the transition from high school to college without any help from their professor. College is much different from high school, and every first year student is going to have to do some adjusting. Parsons said that he is not your teacher, but your professor. Parsons feels that it is a teacher’s responsibility to guide and make sure that their students do not fail their course. He is basically saying he does not care if his students pass or fail because it was his inexperienced first year student’s choice. Parsons fails to realize that not all first year students can adapt to the old- fashioned way of learning that universities us; some freshman need guidance because they had teachers guiding them all the way through high school. When I made the transition from high school, it took me a while to adjust to the college lifestyle. This is the first times I have been away from my parents for an extended period of time. My parents always kept an eye on me to make sure that I would be doing my studies, but now it is my responsibility to make sure I keep up with my work. It would took even longer if all of my professors had the mindset that Parsons displays.
Moreover, Parsons also mentioned “he gets paid the same way whether you get an A or an F”. This is another way of saying that I could care less whether you pass the course or fail because I get paid the same way. This is implying the difference between a professor and a teacher because teachers get fired if everyone is failing their course unlike professors. He expects that all of his first year students will immediately flip the switch from high school life to college life when making the transition to college, but some of his first year students were probably always having parent teacher conferences. In college, professors cannot talk about their student’s grades with their parents. Some first year students always had their parents taking responsibility for their school work, but when the student makes the transition to college, he is left with a huge responsibility of doing his or her own work without their parent making them.
In addition, Parsons adds that he has no obligation whatsoever to make sure whether his students pass or fails his class. Parsons says he will lead his students to knowledge, but it is their job whether they take his information or ignore it. Parsons is coming off as a tough professor, but all in all he is telling his students that college is nothing like high school.
In addition, Parsons adds that he has no obligation whatsoever to make sure whether his students pass or fails his class. Parsons says he will lead his students to knowledge, but it is their job whether they take his information or ignore it. Parsons is coming off as a tough professor, but all in all he is telling his students that college is nothing like high school.