School is back in session! KC and Jamil are here to welcome you all to a new season and a new semester; with some tips and tricks to keep you sane along the way.
Transcript
Hello, KC. We're having a busy day. We are having a busy day,
Speaker:that today is the first day of the fall semester that we're recording,
Speaker:we are back for season four. Boom, in full effect. And we look
Speaker:back. I'm really feeling that full effect. Yeah.
Speaker:Okay. Today, KC, today, students are coming back to campus where they already
Speaker:move back onto campus, classes are starting up,
Speaker:students may be transitioning from virtual learning to in person learning,
Speaker:or still having virtual learning. How is that going?
Speaker:Well, so we are one of those campuses
Speaker:who is coming back on time as expected, we're still in the pandemic,
Speaker:and so we got the Omicron variants spicing things up, and a number
Speaker:of universities have taken different approaches, some like an Ivy League
Speaker:school down the street, for example, is virtual for a few weeks and
Speaker:then they'll be on ground, but then they're being advised not to go
Speaker:to local restaurants or stores or anything. We're coming back and the testing,
Speaker:we've got N95 mask, all that stuff. But different schools... Yeah, so you're
Speaker:teaching with an N95 on? Oh my god, I'll tell you about that
Speaker:later. But so anyway, we're one of those schools that is back as
Speaker:scheduled, some are starting later and skipping spring break, we did that
Speaker:last spring, and let me tell you, spring break is very important for
Speaker:mental health. So, here we are back. I feel like it's still too
Speaker:soon for me to know necessarily how folks are doing, but
Speaker:I taught a couple of classes this morning,
Speaker:and it's a mixed bag in terms of how students are doing,
Speaker:I think. Yeah, it's... Can we get a peek inside that bag?
Speaker:And you wanna... Alright, here's the peak. So I asked students,
Speaker:toward the end of class, I had students write down a few words
Speaker:about how they were doing, and then we share some of those out
Speaker:loud, and then they turn them into me and I saw more of
Speaker:what's going on for folks and just 'cause I think it's really important
Speaker:to be very open about mental health and
Speaker:open about the fact that everything is not
Speaker:"normal" and that folks are struggling, but also you gotta know your audience,
Speaker:like "Am I dealing with a bunch of people who are excited and
Speaker:ready to learn, or am I dealing with a bunch of folks who
Speaker:are stressed out and anxious." So anyway, the first student who said something...
Speaker:He said, "I'm curious." And I was like, "Whoa, that's great,
Speaker:that's wonderful. I'm also trying to be more curious instead of... "
Speaker:What do you learn? Yes, great. I'm trying to be more curious and
Speaker:less critical or less judgy to just be like,
Speaker:pause, "I wonder, I wonder why that person cut me off in traffic."
Speaker:Or "I wonder why this student is acting this way, I'm curious."
Speaker:So anyway, that was surprising, and then the next student said,
Speaker:"Oh, I'm motivated." I was like, "Oh, wonderful. We're doing great." And
Speaker:so of course, it's much easier to share
Speaker:when you're doing well, than when you're not, so of course then we
Speaker:were hearing, "I'm tired, I'm nervous, I'm hungry,
Speaker:I'm anxious, I'm stressed." But we also had excited and optimistic.
Speaker:One student said, "I'm introspective." Wonderful, it's a great time of year
Speaker:to be introspective. One student said, "Low energy."
Speaker:And I was looking at this list motivated,
Speaker:nervous, happy, anxious, stressed, optimistic, low energy. It's like I'm
Speaker:all of those things, I sort of cycle through those in the day,
Speaker:and so it's helpful to see. And then
Speaker:when I was looking once I got back to my office,
Speaker:people shared a lot more negative... What we would consider negative emotions
Speaker:of sadness and loneliness and hopelessness. And I'm glad that they wrote
Speaker:that down and were willing to share that
Speaker:with me, 'cause I think it's important to express that stuff.
Speaker:But students are carrying a lot with them
Speaker:when they're back here in the classroom, whether that's in person or online.
Speaker:Well, we do know... One of the most important things in higher education
Speaker:I have learned, is students sense of belonging and students sense of community.
Speaker:That's right. With this pandemic that's been so difficult, so many students
Speaker:have been isolated from communities that have enriched their lives and supported
Speaker:them and uplifted them while they were completing the undergrad and graduate
Speaker:studies. So hopefully as we embark upon this new year, students will have
Speaker:a chance to rejoin their communities that so many of us love.
Speaker:Yeah, and I think all the educators who I know are really keenly
Speaker:aware of this and know that creating that sense of belonging and connection
Speaker:and offering grace to students who are out of practice, who are
Speaker:struggling, I'm struggling, all of us are to some degree. And I think
Speaker:taking care in our approach with students is important
Speaker:for all of us. So maybe, giving students grace is a two way
Speaker:street, they provide their instructor with grace and... Yes. Grace is extended.
Speaker:Yes, and honestly, I'm in like a day by day
Speaker:kind of answer right now... Oh day by day. Wow. Oh yeah.
Speaker:Day by day. And I think teaching always terrifies me. I don't know,
Speaker:did you have the sense when you were a student
Speaker:that your professors were nervous on the first day of school.
Speaker:Some. Not just the first day though, the whole time. Are you talking
Speaker:about me? No, not you. You are talking about me. Yeah, no, not you, not
Speaker:you. Okay, well, I do feel that way. Nervous every class for the
Speaker:whole semester. Yes, I think with some professors it's more clear.
Speaker:But with others, it seems like we're just reeling. Yeah, it's interesting
Speaker:because I love teaching more than anything, and I always feel...
Speaker:I mean just like people love being a student, but there's this sense
Speaker:of dread right before the semester starts, pandemic or not, it's like,
Speaker:"Oh no, this big shift is about to come from
Speaker:a time of hopefully break and rest into this, the gear of the
Speaker:semester, and we're gonna meet all new people and there's all this unknown
Speaker:stuff." That's exciting, but it's also terrifying. And
Speaker:so yeah, all of that, and then you add in the stress and
Speaker:all the unknowns with the pandemic, and it is a lot,
Speaker:and it's what... That's the whole point of the university, is to gather,
Speaker:to have class, to learn together, so that gives me life as much
Speaker:as it also gives me anxiety. I just thought of the theme of
Speaker:this episode sitting here. Oh oh. "How to survive the fall semester,
Speaker:the spring semester." "How to survive the spring... " See it's so disorienting,
Speaker:these are disorienting times. And also Jamil, you're not a student anymore.
Speaker:What do you know? What do you know? I'm over here like are we in fall, are
Speaker:we in spring? No, "How to survive the spring semester."
Speaker:Yeah. Yes. And beyond. Do you have tips for faculty? I have tips for
Speaker:students. Tips for faculty? I don't know, I mean truly offering grace to
Speaker:students and checking in a lot about mental health, however that looks.
Speaker:And because we know there's a documented mental health crisis among college
Speaker:students, and we can have a big impact on that in our classrooms.
Speaker:So the way that... One of the ways that I create community in
Speaker:my class is by having us draw together
Speaker:and draw a three minute soft portrait at the beginning of class.
Speaker:It's a unique thing. It's a vulnerable thing. We share those pictures with
Speaker:each other, and that shared kinda odd experience
Speaker:sort of breaks the ice and creates a community space in the classroom.
Speaker:And it's a ritual that we start with,
Speaker:so I love that. Getting to know students.
Speaker:Putting more attention on knowing students calling them by
Speaker:their name, knowing something about them and really trying to create those
Speaker:relationships is even more so important now than under normal
Speaker:conditions, I guess. Yeah, and also one thing I'll say 'cause I'mma forget
Speaker:this, 'cause it's the first day of school.
Speaker:The spring semester does always give me some sense of hope because the
Speaker:days get longer and we start out and I have a class that ends
Speaker:at 4:40. When that class gets out, you know it's starting to get
Speaker:dark. By the end of the semester it's gonna be dark for hours
Speaker:after that class, and so the temperatures get warmer, the days get longer,
Speaker:sun shines more. And so that for me,
Speaker:I know the reward at the end of
Speaker:the spring semester is summer time. A few things come to mind for
Speaker:me, especially with this pandemic in mind. This pandemic for a lot of
Speaker:people may expand their already existing inequities. Oh yes.
Speaker:The first week of school the first thing I'm thinking about his textbooks.
Speaker:Folks trying to afford the high price of text books. And I'm not
Speaker:sure if I would tell you this story.
Speaker:I got to a point where I was tired of buying textbooks.
Speaker:It happened very quickly because textbooks can easily cost you $600 a semester.
Speaker:You need a math code that's a $120.
Speaker:You need code for a language, which may be 120 again.
Speaker:Then you need four or five textbooks, next thing you know you're at $600
Speaker:before the first week of school ends. Here are some hacks that I
Speaker:have. Okay. For students that may be listening, about textbooks,
Speaker:see if your bookstore that you're buying the textbook from, price matches
Speaker:online, bookstores tend to have a higher pricing textbook than maybe Amazon,
Speaker:Barnes & Noble. And some bookstores, ours do, sometimes it might actually
Speaker:be all the time, but they price match, online services, so inquire, shop
Speaker:around, see if you need the book in person with you
Speaker:is an online edition okay. Is a older edition that may be cheaper,
Speaker:extremely similar, 'cause sometimes you just change the cover or change
Speaker:the rotation of chapter. So ask your faculty member, is older editions very
Speaker:similar. See if the book is sitting in your public or your university
Speaker:library. And it may be reserved. So sometimes libraries put books on reserve
Speaker:that you can't check out for the day. You can only have it
Speaker:for couple of hours. If that's the case,
Speaker:if the book is on reserve, here me out everybody. Take the book
Speaker:to the scanner. That's right. And sit there for 30 40 minutes,
Speaker:scan the book. Your syllabus may tell you what chapters you need.
Speaker:You may not need the whole book. You may need seven chapters.
Speaker:I did that, I proceeded to print the chapters 'cause I needed it
Speaker:in person. It was a lot cheaper to print 100 pages than it
Speaker:was to buy the textbook. Also, I know our university does this,
Speaker:I'm sure there's other services at other universities, other departments
Speaker:that have libraries that you can check out a textbook for the semester,
Speaker:and does your Dean of Students cover the cost of textbooks if you're
Speaker:at... Those things are true and are university.
Speaker:Coach at Center has a library or votes, he offers some limited resources
Speaker:around textbook relief, I would say look into them, weigh your options when
Speaker:you buy them. Yeah, that's great advice, that's great advice. I think often,
Speaker:standard textbooks are not in libraries 'cause I feel like there's some
Speaker:kind of deal between publishers and libraries, so that people have to buy
Speaker:the book. Yeah, I think it depends on the course, like, if you're
Speaker:taking an English class... That's right. Sure, this literature book is probably
Speaker:available at your local library. Absolutely. If you're looking for a geometry
Speaker:textbook? Maybe not, but it's always worth the look.
Speaker:Always worth the look. Yeah, if you're talking about a $150 textbook and
Speaker:you can scan it in 20 30 minutes, you just made a lot
Speaker:of money. Oh yeah, I sure did and I actually printed it at
Speaker:work, so I didn't even pay for the...
Speaker:Of course you did. Yeah, I get creative, when you're in college,
Speaker:you've got to get creative, you do. Somehow, this reminded me of the
Speaker:story that I wanted to tell you from today,
Speaker:which is not at all related to textbooks,
Speaker:but in terms of sort of advice for students, or not even advice,
Speaker:but let me just share this story with you and then we'll see what
Speaker:you think. So I'm wearing an N95 mask,
Speaker:teaching two classes in a row, 10 minutes in between them,
Speaker:and teaching and public speaking, especially if you're a nervous person,
Speaker:it's a very physical act, it's like exercise.
Speaker:You're breathing hard and voice getting shaky, it's like a physical experience.
Speaker:And you're wearing an N95 mask, it's super hard to breathe, and when
Speaker:you are nervous, it is really difficult, and then your nose is running,
Speaker:it's like a whole thing, it's very unpleasant.
Speaker:But as you know, I always come out in all my classes
Speaker:on the first day, and coming out is...
Speaker:Even though I've done it so many times and I'm like out in
Speaker:all of these circumstances, it's still quite terrifying and
Speaker:very vulnerable, and I try to be cool about it,
Speaker:but I just have a visceral response where
Speaker:it makes me sweaty, it makes my voice shaky, it makes it hard
Speaker:to breathe, and I'm still talking and trying to do this.
Speaker:And I do it because it's so important to have that representation and
Speaker:it's important that folks know and to see that modeled, etcetera, etcetera.
Speaker:So I'm doing that today in my first class,
Speaker:and then I was legitimately having a hard time breathing, I couldn't really
Speaker:talk anymore when I was done with that. And again, I'm trying to
Speaker:play it cool, but it's not that cool. And then I think I
Speaker:had them, I was like, "Just read the first page of the syllabus
Speaker:and then I wanna talk to you about something else."
Speaker:Or whatever, I just needed... I had to buy myself like 30 seconds
Speaker:to breathe. So anyway, I was like, "Oh my God, this
Speaker:was really harder than usual today." And then after class, I had a
Speaker:student who came up and said, "Hey, I'm a part of the community,
Speaker:and I just wanna thank you for coming out and for
Speaker:representing, and that just means so much to me, I really appreciate it."
Speaker:And them saying that was so validating for me, because sometimes I'm like,
Speaker:I'm doing this, I know that it matters,
Speaker:but I don't always hear that from people, and especially on today when
Speaker:it felt hard to have somebody immediately say like... To thank me for
Speaker:doing that, it made doing that in the second class,
Speaker:so much easier and more meaningful for me.
Speaker:It was a similar experience of vulnerability, visceral discomfort, all that
Speaker:stuff, but it felt easier for me to do.
Speaker:And that just meant so much. And I think sometimes the students don't
Speaker:necessarily know how much hearing things like that from them
Speaker:makes a difference in our lives, to be perfectly honest.
Speaker:Yeah, representation of the classroom is super important,
Speaker:no matter how hard that may be at times.
Speaker:Yeah. Yeah. And I remember... I don't know, I just... I'm thinking back
Speaker:many years ago to being a college student, and
Speaker:I didn't have a sense of my professors as vulnerable
Speaker:human beings or as folks who might be nervous or people...
Speaker:I was so focused really on my own experience
Speaker:that it wouldn't have occurred to me that they might need something from
Speaker:me, or that something I might say could impact their life,
Speaker:like that never occurred to me. Oh, that always occurred to me.
Speaker:Of course it did. You know, because we're all people here.
Speaker:I don't know, I took a lot of
Speaker:thinking and commitment with building relationships beyond just my peers.
Speaker:Yeah, and of course, it's different, I mean different professors, different
Speaker:students are different, and some of them you may try to connect with
Speaker:and then they don't reciprocate that. Been there, been there, but I tend
Speaker:to be the student where like, you just gotta love me,
Speaker:you just gotta love me. I have to, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker:That's actually a good tip for students to build relationships beyond the
Speaker:classroom with their faculty, especially in times in which you feel like
Speaker:you're struggling, 'cause it's been... I can think about
Speaker:times in college where I would have dropped out,
Speaker:but I would have made my professors disappointed or they would have been
Speaker:sad to see me leave, and so it kinda made me wanna stay
Speaker:if people were sad to see me leave.
Speaker:Right, because you know, or even come to class, it's like,
Speaker:"Oh no, I can't disappoint this person." So that's just enough to get
Speaker:you... Just enough to get you there. Just good enough to get you there,
Speaker:to get you in the door, yeah. Right. And I think maybe that's
Speaker:one takeaway is that, the ways that we can extend
Speaker:kindness, care, attention to other people right now, that maybe... Like
Speaker:folks, some folks are hanging on by a thread.
Speaker:Yeah, some people are barely there and I've been there.
Speaker:Yeah, and so we can... We can take the edge off
Speaker:for folks and help try to give people enough foundation that
Speaker:we can rebuild during this really... A time that's tough for a lot
Speaker:of people in a lot of ways. Yeah, so as students may be
Speaker:struggling 'cause especially for second year, first year students,
Speaker:maybe this is their first time learning in a pandemic... So the circumstances
Speaker:are a little different, all our universities are operating a little different,
Speaker:so thinking of tips of how they're navigating this new landscape that we're
Speaker:all navigating together I have some thoughts. Oh, let's hear it.
Speaker:Virtual learning. Let's start there. Okay. From a student perspective, don't
Speaker:do it in bed. Whoo, I... Oh. Yes, don't do it in bed. Why?
Speaker:'Cause you will fall back asleep, you're not paying attention, you're too
Speaker:comfy, you're too cozy. I can see a lot of students,
Speaker:especially if you're allowed to have your camera off and there'd be a
Speaker:lot of reasons of why you may have your camera off,
Speaker:but if you're in bed, you're not learning. You're not paying attention.
Speaker:I would recommend finding a regular spot that you go to all the
Speaker:time, whether it's outside of your residence hall, outside of your home,
Speaker:in the library, in a quiet cafe. Listen, somewhere quiet that you can
Speaker:actually sit your laptop down and have a notebook next to you,
Speaker:I recommend. I recommend having your camera on if you can,
Speaker:if that's the kind of format your faculty is having, because you'll be
Speaker:more engaged. But if it's not a lecture, I recommend
Speaker:talking more than you would in in person learning. I find that virtual
Speaker:learning, it's hard to feel like you're in a classroom, like you're in a
Speaker:space with other people because you're online, it feels a little disconnecting.
Speaker:So sometimes over interacting can help make you learn more and make you
Speaker:feel more involved. Also, I think this is a time where you should
Speaker:be over communicating to your professor, like going to office hours,
Speaker:trying to be in the mindset of being a college student as often
Speaker:as possible, and when those issues arise, it's a pandemic, you get sick,
Speaker:tell your professors. Yep. Yep. You're having to work more because there's
Speaker:a working shortage at your job, tell your professor. You can't... There's
Speaker:a a essay deadline coming up, it's not looking clear that you can't hit
Speaker:it, tell your professor. Over and over communicate and see if there is
Speaker:some type of something and some type of relief you can get there.
Speaker:That's what I'm thinking first, virtual learning. Yeah, I talked to my classes
Speaker:today about, "Look, there's a lot of unexpected stuff that might go on,
Speaker:whether that's illness related or otherwise, and what you cannot do is just
Speaker:ghost, because if I don't see you, I don't hear from you for
Speaker:a month at a time, I don't know what's going on with you."
Speaker:And what can you do? Yeah, and I don't know how to support
Speaker:you or accommodate, and sometimes just doing the communicating to say like,
Speaker:"Hey, I got a lot going on right now,
Speaker:I wanna make sure I'm telling you about this, I'm gonna miss class
Speaker:next week, but I'm gonna do this and this and this,"
Speaker:that accountability piece can make a difference in you,
Speaker:'cause that's such a bad feeling when you fall behind
Speaker:and you're out of touch with the class and with the professor,
Speaker:it can be hard to climb back from that. So I would say
Speaker:also yes, absolutely, communicate anything that's going on
Speaker:with your faculty member, and also to reach out to the dean of
Speaker:students or other support services on campuses to support you in other ways.
Speaker:And you know what, I'm gonna extend this conversation to faculty,
Speaker:faculty, when they're teaching in a virtual space.
Speaker:I would say if professors are not equipped with technology, this is the
Speaker:time to get better equipped, they have IT on speed dial. That's right. I
Speaker:have been... When I was in virtual learning, I can remember
Speaker:classes being very delayed because of not knowing how to work different
Speaker:software, so hopefully faculty can increase some of their technical abilities,
Speaker:and I also think that you have to find new ways of being
Speaker:engaging with your students, they're no longer in the classroom standing
Speaker:in front of you, and even that can be difficult in in person
Speaker:learning, engaging with students and getting feedback and getting students
Speaker:to talk, even sometimes breakout rooms with students are bone quiet in virtual
Speaker:learning. I know. Sometimes I visited a breakout room and they... And it's
Speaker:awkward. And I'm like, "Well, what's going on here?" And they're like,
Speaker:"Oh, we didn't feel like talking," I'm like, "Well, sorry... " Well...
Speaker:Yeah. "That's what we're doing right now, so let's get it together."
Speaker:Do you find any particular methods work for you, or haven't worked?
Speaker:Honestly, I really don't like teaching online, which is why I'm not doing
Speaker:it right now. So I know that my strengths as a teacher are
Speaker:in person in the classroom. That said like you... The same things, of
Speaker:course you have to do online and in person and that is to
Speaker:create connection, to create a sense of belonging, to make it...
Speaker:Students are gonna learn better if they wanna be there, and that's true
Speaker:no matter the setting. So what ways can... How can you foster
Speaker:a sense of belonging, connection, community, and how can you do that online?
Speaker:And I think depending on how big your class is, there are a
Speaker:lot of different ways to do it, and there are folks who are
Speaker:experts in how to teach well online, but
Speaker:it's not... I don't find it easy, and I prefer a synchronous online
Speaker:class for the same reason, like if we're all gathering at the same
Speaker:time and we can see each other. I'd give, I'm like very...
Speaker:When I teach online classes, I record videos of myself saying "Hi"
Speaker:to everybody, talking about the class, and I send it out before the
Speaker:semester starts. I do a lot of FaceTime
Speaker:because I want them to have a sense of me as a person
Speaker:and to start to create a connection with me as a teacher.
Speaker:It's hard for me though, sometimes I meet students and I'm like,
Speaker:"You were in my class, it was online, you always had your camera
Speaker:off, you never spoke, and I don't really have a sense that I
Speaker:know you," like years later. And so that's the part about online learning
Speaker:that, you did everything you're supposed to do for that class,
Speaker:and I don't really have a sense of you. And then I'm glad
Speaker:that you have a sense of me but
Speaker:part of... Teaching is relational, it's about relationships.
Speaker:And I think it's a struggle for me
Speaker:to do that online. And I admire my classmates especially...
Speaker:My classmates, My teaching... My colleagues, that's what I'll call them,
Speaker:right? I admire those who can teach online well,
Speaker:and there's certainly folks who do a good job at that.
Speaker:Yeah, and I hopefully know students are going to office hours.
Speaker:I always say office hours is where the magic happens, 'cause it does.
Speaker:Just when a person can put a name to a face means all
Speaker:the difference. And I'm thinking about faculty in particular. I know faculty
Speaker:tend to operate in two different ways. Well, listen, we're going here today.
Speaker:We're going here. Okay, alright, alright, alright. You know we're here,
Speaker:we're talking... We're gonna go there. Okay. Some faculty operate with the
Speaker:aspect of, I'm an educator. I'm here to touch student lives,
Speaker:I'm here to prepare them for their next step. I am here to
Speaker:build relationships with them. I am here to be a positive influence,
Speaker:a mentor, a role model, and the list goes on. Some faculty, this is a space
Speaker:that you have paid for, that you are... I'm gonna give you educational information,
Speaker:you receive that, and everything in between is kind of your job.
Speaker:And so I think as a student, sometimes it's hard to navigate both
Speaker:of those lanes especially when a faculty don't view their self as an
Speaker:educator, 'cause not every faculty view themselves as a educator. Yeah,
Speaker:certainly some folks see themselves more as scholars
Speaker:or researchers. I provide the materials, it's their job to navigate and
Speaker:show up. Right. And I think sometimes we as teachers forget
Speaker:how it is for students to have to navigate
Speaker:five different... Not just five different teachers, there's human beings
Speaker:with their different styles and preferences and all of that but also five
Speaker:different... You're a different person, basically. Maybe not you, Jamil,
Speaker:'cause you're 100% Jamil. But you're often a different person in each classroom.
Speaker:You're asked, you're invited to be a different kind of person depending
Speaker:on that classroom space. And also the way people use online learning management
Speaker:systems is completely different. So the way that my Blackboard site looks
Speaker:is different from somebody else's. Yes. Yes, I always call that the politics
Speaker:of college. It already feels like. It feels like you're entering these different
Speaker:spaces, and it can even be like you're re taking the same class,
Speaker:but it's different faculty and it's like a whole different experience.
Speaker:The way they teach, what they expect of you, how you are allowed
Speaker:to show up, what is encouraged, what is not encouraged,
Speaker:everything. Can you have your laptop out? Is like phones allowed? Are they
Speaker:not? Can you speak to your peer casually? Are you not allowed to
Speaker:speak? Is that rude? Are you formal? Are you informal? Some people are
Speaker:serious, "I'm Doctor, so and so." Some people are like, "Just call me,
Speaker:Fred. I had a great time last night." Right. "Can I eat in
Speaker:this class? Can I... " Yeah. So different. And to navigate
Speaker:five, six different environments, while navigating the rest of the university
Speaker:experience, while navigating work and life. And then you add a pandemic,
Speaker:can be so difficult for students to deal with.
Speaker:Yeah, especially in these first few weeks of the semester because all of
Speaker:it's new. And I have some students now who... They've been... They took
Speaker:a year, a year and a half off of school. And now they're
Speaker:coming back. They're coming back, also pandemic, also all the stuff,
Speaker:so it's... That's a good point. Some folks took a year off,
Speaker:took two years off. Yes. Yes, yes. Or maybe even going back to
Speaker:school for the very first time in a long time because,
Speaker:job shortages, maybe they're changing fields. The pandemic has made certain
Speaker:workforces pretty hard to work in. Retail, customer service jobs, healthcare
Speaker:jobs. Education. Yeah, education. People are leaving fields. So, we maybe
Speaker:even looking at a new population of students all together. Well,
Speaker:you know what, I have thoughts for students that are jumping back into school
Speaker:and I have some thoughts. Your next podcast is gonna be called, "I
Speaker:have thoughts." "I have thoughts." Shout out to Allison because she said
Speaker:it during a meeting, "Jamil's tagline is, "I have thoughts."
Speaker:I just always have thoughts, that's why you know we have a podcast.
Speaker:You do, you have more thoughts than I do. That's for sure.
Speaker:They just come to me. So do you remember I used to be
Speaker:an academic success peer mentor, I believe they called them. Yep. Where
Speaker:you basically try to set students up to success throughout their academics.
Speaker:You work on time management, scheduling, all these different
Speaker:skills students need to succeed. Hear what I'm thinking, alright,
Speaker:we need to have time management down packed especially in a pandemic,
Speaker:we need a really good calendar, we need a good routine,
Speaker:a good schedule. We need to to do Jamil's textbook hack,
Speaker:'cause that's a good idea. We need to also talk to all our
Speaker:professors individually. Get a feel for the class.
Speaker:Is there some breathing room? How late work works.
Speaker:That kind of stuff. As a student, I always remember too looking at
Speaker:my syllabus. And as a faculty, you may hate this. I probably will. I
Speaker:used to look at my syllabus and go, is this important?
Speaker:I would look at the grading, 'cause you know certain things take so
Speaker:much time. I do hate this, I do. I wish you wouldn't... It's true. Certain
Speaker:things take so much time but are not worth many points.
Speaker:And if you don't have a lot of time, or...
Speaker:I know that this is true, and at the same time...
Speaker:Yeah, how do you go with that? It makes me...
Speaker:I don't know. Everything that's in a class,
Speaker:if it's well designed, it's there for a reason, and it matters.
Speaker:I'm really more of a holistic grader than points. You can look at
Speaker:somebody and say, "Well, this is worth five points and this is worth
Speaker:50," so the 50 point thing is so much more important,
Speaker:I must spend more time on that. Now, that will likely take more
Speaker:time anyway, but it's possible that that five point thing
Speaker:is central to your learning and your experience in the class.
Speaker:So I... Whatever, I did that as a student too.
Speaker:But it also makes me think of capitalism and it's like,
Speaker:"Well, if something costs less, it's not... This isn't important.". And
Speaker:more... And that really kinda feels at times as a student.
Speaker:Like, "I'm doing this to get a point, I'm doing this to get
Speaker:a grade," or like... I'm thinking back, like I'm reflecting. And I can
Speaker:think of every semester, these classes were really important and really
Speaker:learning and educational, and other classes, I'm there because it's a requirement.
Speaker:And even the content felt like I was there to achieve X,
Speaker:Y and Z points. And I'm thinking about taking classes all the same
Speaker:time that your focus is being shared and dragged in different directions.
Speaker:Yeah. If the only class you can have this week,
Speaker:these little blog posts maybe, for example, that are worth very small amount
Speaker:of points, and then boom, 1.30 of your grade in this class and
Speaker:this other class, this huge research paper. I'm thinking back to prioritizing
Speaker:as a student, I'm gonna have to give this my weight and not
Speaker:this other thing. And I think about privilege,
Speaker:when you're able to sit in every one of your classes and fully
Speaker:engage and fully do the class to its capacity, having the privilege to
Speaker:do that, 'cause I often see students don't typically have that privilege.
Speaker:Yeah. That certainly... I'm kind of an idealist, I guess, in that way.
Speaker:But I also think that sometimes... You're probably gonna hate this.
Speaker:Whoa. Yeah. So let's say that there's a difference between someone who's
Speaker:working all these jobs and doing all this stuff,
Speaker:and trying to juggle five classes. So there's that person
Speaker:who is really truly strapped for time and perhaps over committed
Speaker:out of necessity. And then there are other folks who
Speaker:could manage their time differently. Yes. And could get more things done.
Speaker:And without sacrificing rest, without sacrificing a social life... Money.
Speaker:Money, or whatever. It's like, "How much time are you spending looking at
Speaker:your phone?" Yes. And I agree. I think...
Speaker:That's why in the beginning of the semesters, I always recommend faculty
Speaker:additional tips. I recommend checking into the offices
Speaker:in your University that support students. So if you have a Academic access
Speaker:center, or maybe it's called something different, maybe it's a tutoring
Speaker:centre, going to tutoring in the beginning of the semester, even when you
Speaker:don't believe you need it can really help set the groundwork for you
Speaker:as a student, help you grow from semester to semester 'cause you're supposed
Speaker:to showcase some type of growth, I believe in my mind.
Speaker:Sitting down with a person, maybe a friend, maybe a professional, and really
Speaker:dedicating time. Because you're supposed to put a certain amount of hours
Speaker:into credits. If you're taking five classes, you should be giving,
Speaker:if you can, in the perfect world, 20 25 hours to this course
Speaker:work, to studying, to reading, to absorbing the work outside of going to
Speaker:class. University, all sort of learning happens outside of the classroom.
Speaker:And so, I think doing those things and even maybe going to counselling services,
Speaker:going to a wellness center and working on your spiritual and mental health
Speaker:while you're doing these things can really set the ground work to having
Speaker:a really successful semester. Yeah, and having good systems in place.
Speaker:Like you're saying with setting yourself up for success so that...
Speaker:You have good days, bad days, good weeks, bad weeks, but if your
Speaker:overall system is set up to support you as a student,
Speaker:you know that you sit in this chair
Speaker:and you do this class, and you show up to
Speaker:your tutoring session, that's when you get this done,
Speaker:you have those regular systems in place to support you, that way,
Speaker:you don't have to reinvent everything week to week and feel like you're
Speaker:behind. And now, beginning of the semester is the time to set up
Speaker:those systems. Yeah. I'm thinking back to my first semester. I had a
Speaker:system. When I mean... Did you? Oh, I had a system system,
Speaker:and listen, that was a great system. Do you know how freshman don't
Speaker:pick their schedules their first semester? Well, at our university, they
Speaker:don't. You get handed a schedule. Well, I had
Speaker:the early classes, first year is typically get these super early classes,
Speaker:like 7:45, this bright and early sunshine. Brutal, brutal. So I would have
Speaker:classes typically from 7:45 to 11:00 AM I would have lunch,
Speaker:and then I will go to the library. Our library at our university
Speaker:closes at 11 at the time. I would stay till 11.
Speaker:I would do my course work for the week, I would do my
Speaker:readings, I would do tutoring, I would do study groups, all types of
Speaker:stuff. And then at 11 o'clock, my social life begins.
Speaker:And then at 2:30, 3:00 AM, we were starting this all over.
Speaker:Is this a good system? And it worked. It was a good system. You
Speaker:know, I don't know. I don't know. Personally, I use schedule.
Speaker:That works for you. Sleep more than Jamil, please. It worked great for me.
Speaker:I should have kept that going. No, no. You need to sleep more.
Speaker:I mean now you do. Now I do. It worked at the time.
Speaker:Yeah, it's a struggle though. Honestly, this is something I'm constantly
Speaker:working on, because it's really... There's so many distractions
Speaker:in life and also digitally, it's tough to do. So if you know
Speaker:someone who seems to be good at this, see if they'll show you
Speaker:their system for how do you organize your life, how do you organize
Speaker:your days, how are you managing and implement some of those practices?
Speaker:Now that I'm thinking about it, I stopped that schedule 'cause I started
Speaker:working. And I could only imagine going to school and working in a
Speaker:pandemic. How challenging that may be. Yeah, because being a student,
Speaker:really, it feels like a job. Oh, it is a job.
Speaker:It is a job. Yeah. Alright, new season, new semester. Yeah. We have
Speaker:some very interesting episodes for y'all. We do.
Speaker:And we are gonna be asking you all to contribute in some ways
Speaker:to our future episodes. Yes, it's about time you all joined the conversation.
Speaker:Yes, so be on the lookout. We'll share more as we go,
Speaker:but be on the lookout for calls to answer questions, to ask questions
Speaker:for our guests to suggest podcast topics in the future, and to contribute
Speaker:your voice, your experience to our conversation. So we will be asking,
Speaker:so be prepared to chime in. And you know, I'm hoping to be
Speaker:flooded with responses that we can maybe air, we can talk about.
Speaker:We can hear what you all want to talk about. Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah. Put that in mind. Holla at us on social media.
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Alright, Jamil. I think that will do it. We'll see you next week.