Often times as life breezes through the long winded, but short-lived weeks of the semester, students get lost in the molding of why we come to college and what we come to do. The beginning of the school year tries hard to ease students into the hard work that is to come after a summer without 8 AM classes or late night papers. Club fairs, community meetings, syllabus week — it’s all the buffer between the time spent traveling from bed to beach to sofa and the time spend traveling from bed to class to internship. However, He rCampus Fordham is here to help! With answers to your most intuitive questions provided by passionate Professor Javier Jimenez-Belmonte of the Modern Languages and Literature Department at Fordham, and relevant tips from yours truly, you can start the semester off right and stay on track this semester.
What to do in Class
My first piece of advice is to show up to class. While this might seem obvious, not only because you are footing the bill of attending a university, but because one of the main selling points of college is education, it is not always heeded advice. As I am sure you’ve heard before, each course you take will only you give to you what you put into it. Going to class each week is just the first step in taking control of your education and fulfilling one of the most fundamental experiences of college: growth through learning. This is not just something highlighted because of attendance policies can be enforced or because you should get the best bang for your buck in lab fees. When talking to Professor Jimenez-Belmonte, he emphasized how a student’s interest in and curiosity for learning are essential for the college environment. Beyond impressing your teacher with the passion you have for their subject, commitment to the class and its course load not only improve your chances for a stellar GPA, they enhance the experience you have with your teacher, your class, and the quality of your education.
Communication is Truly Key
Now, if only it was so easy that coming to class and caring about our education was all that earned us an A. Unfortunately for our sleep schedule, it’s not. However, the next best tip, from the wise words of Professor Jimenez-Belmonte, is communication. Interacting with your teacher can take many different forms in and out of the classroom. The key word toward making the most of your classes is participation. A highlight for Professor Jimenez-Belmonte is the exchanging of ideas through open conversation. The idea that communication and participation is not just a grade, but a technique in education is necessary for intellectual advancement is a crucial point for students to understand, according to the Spanish Literature Professor. While it might be the style of some teachers to lecture (and in that case I recommend diligent, but concise notes), often times a professor’s ultimate goal is to create a two way street in conversation. Raising your hand in class, even when you aren’t sure about a topic, goes a long way in stimulating academic growth; It can’t hurt your grade, either.
Another advantage of going to a university like Fordham is the access we have to teachers outside the classroom. Office hours are a privilege, and not enough people use them. Coming straight from the perspective of our professor of the hour, office hours are one of the best ways to show interest in a topic. It’s private, it’s personal, it’s effective, and his office is always open for those who need it. That being said, if you feel you are struggling in a class, go to office hours. If you have unanswered questions, go to office hours. If you are curious about the finer complexities of the subject matter, you guessed it again- go to office hours! Some of the best advice Professor Jimenez-Belmonte gave me during our talk was to ask for the help that you need. It can’t be emphasized enough that communication is key! This is especially important if you lean toward the quiet side and the classroom setting is not always for you. Going to office hours, speaking to the professor before or after class are all ways to ensure that your timid tendencies don’t impact your entire experience.
What to do When It’s a Core Class and You Could Care Less
Now suppose you’re taking a required course with subject matter that doesn’t necessarily spark your curiosity. There are still ways to show your passion and drive for the classes that don’t always match your major. Professor Jimenez-Belmonte stresses the need to be present and the need to bring your perspective. So maybe reading Shakespeare isn’t your thing? Think outside the box and incorporate what you are passionate about, for example, communications or international relations, and place them in the context of what you are studying in this core class. Demonstrating a will to learn, according to Professor Jimenez-Belmonte, is the best way to make it through your required courses.
How to Catch Up When You Are Behind
Falling behind is always a danger as the school year progresses. Life happens, deadlines pass, and it’s easy to feel like your grade and your education are falling apart. The best way to handle this situation of to go back to the section about communication. Talking to your teacher is one of the most important things to do in order to pull yourself back up. Coming to your professor prepared is even more important, according to Professor Jimenez-Belmonte. The work you put in is the work you will get out, and your professors are only attempting to help you out along the way. This is never to say that the process will be easy — catching up can be harder than the initial class. But it’s important to stay focused and driven, qualities that your professors are sure to notice. My own personal advice is to also know your limit and prevent yourself from being overwhelmed. There always becomes a point where the workload can exceed your capability when trying to play catch up. In that case, know where to cut your losses and restart from a more manageable place. If you are a month behind, for example, try regaining your footing from two weeks ago before going all the way back to a month beforehand. And no matter what, keep chugging forward.
The Point of View of Javier Jimenez-Belmonte
Professor Javier Jimenez-Belmonte made a lot of key points during our talk that are solid pieces of advice for making the most of your education and making your way towards that 4.0 GPA. However, his own goals for teaching literature and spanish on a broader scale are exemplary for what a professor should be. When I asked him what his goals are in teaching, his answer came in two-fold. The first was to teach something that his students had never learned before, and to help apply the abstract concepts of his literature courses to the realities of everyday life. Jimenez-Belmonte realizes that some parts of 18th century literature are hard to find relevant to the modern day, but through open discussion and exchange of ideas, he hopes that he can help his students think outside the box and apply the class to their life. In terms of spanish, he hopes to help his students not only speak, but think in spanish, and to have a deeper and more diverse understanding of his home country of Spain.
Last Ditch Tips
If you follow the guide above, you should have no problem aceing you classes and learning all you need to know to become the person you want to be in life. The only other things I can say are to get plenty of sleep, eat healthy and regularly, exercise for fun and for health, and to do what makes you happy. Being a well rounded person can make you a well rounded student. Good luck!
*Disclaimer: Interview with Professor Javier Jimenez-Belmonte was conducted in spanish. His comments were interpreted in english to allow for accessibility to Fordham’s base.