Difficult classes may be due to students not ready for the transition from high school to college.
According to a statistical grade distribution report for the spring 2007 semester, the top four classes with unsuccessful scores were math at 47.9 percent, English/ESL 55.1 percent, social science 57.3 percent and philosophy 58.9 percent.
A student’s definition of a difficult class is different from a professor’s.
According to one student, Emily Chavez, who is taking an anthropology class, her class is difficult because “there are some words you can’t understand.”
Another student, Michael Rosales, who is taking English B1A, said, “I don’t understand the teacher, and there is too much homework.”
Liz Keaveny said her hardest class was academic development because “there is a poor teaching skill.”
Professors at Bakersfield College think otherwise.
Stephen Smith, department chair from social science, stated he doesn’t believe that any class is difficult for a student, but rather that students don’t really take the time to study.
“Students are not doing the required reading, and they are not attending class regularly.
“We find that students are not spending enough time studying. If they do that, they will find that teachers are probably not going too fast,” said Smith.
Another department chair Moya Arthur, head of philosophy, said that some students just take classes because they’re required for graduation. Yet, they have little knowledge of what the classes are about. Because of this, according to Moya, “Some students may enroll in a class that they are not academically prepared to do well in.”
Smith also stated that this may be a reason for students who have trouble in class.
“Unfortunately, approximately 60 percent of our students are assessed at the pre-collegiate basic skill level. Therefore, most students come to us underprepared to do college-level work.”
For students who are transitioning from high school to college, they may find that the workload is very different from high school.
Pam Boyles, English professor at BC, said, “Students aren’t used to writing many essays. In high school, teachers have 200 students, so, they don’t assigns as many essays. So, students aren’t accustomed to it.”
Susan McQuerrey, department chair for English, said, “We look very closely at the student’s work. We detail and see what the student has.”
McQuerrey added, “Students are not ready for the transition when they get to college, and when they use the word, “difficult,” they’re saying the class requires a lot of work.”
Although these professors have a different view from students, they do want their students to succeed.
Boyles said, “We really are rooting for them and want them to succeed.”
Arthur said, “We really, really don’t want to fail a student, and you and your teacher are a team.”
Professors want to see that each student leaves BC with a great education and high expectations.
McQuerry said, “We are preparing people for the work force; we want them to succeed but not at diminished standards.”