Commentary How Will You Handle College? By Rabita Aziz (June 11, 2004)

We had all heard the "horror" stories from the seniors. The stories about the dreaded poetry project, about pulling all-nighters and waking up with your neck and back hurting, your face stuck to a page of your Reader-Response Log because you fell asleep at your desk. We all knew about the long discussions about the repercussions of the works of Nietzsche in Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, about the trial in the Court of Sinha, about the volumes of poetry that we would have to write. 

Don’t tell me you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into, unless you’re new to the school. Even in the latter situation, students should know that they’re getting themselves into a college-level class of perpetual work, much of it fun, some of it not. We all knew what we were getting ourselves into. Nevertheless, so many students complained about the lack of sleep and amount of work that parents have formed groups to combat the strenuous workload. And for those parents, I have one question: how are your kids going to survive in college? What are they going to do when you’re not there to take care of them and go complain to the school about their own problems in the class? While I know this will get me letters, parents should realize that it’s not the workload of the class and the lack of sleep that’s to blame for their child’s unsatisfying grades, but the lack of work and effort put forth by the students themselves. You all knew what was going to happen in IBH English 11, and if you still had doubts about your ability in the class, you should have dropped it a long time ago. Don’t whine now.

IBH English 11 is a college level class, so it’s only natural that we get college level work, and get treated like college students. In college there won’t be anyone to hold our hands, anyone to make us hot chocolate to get us through those all-nighters. And about all-nighters: they’ll be daily occurrences. Ask any college student about how many hours of sleep they get, and they’ll say, "Sleep? What’s this sleep you speak of?" Wake up kids! You signed up for this course, and others of the same level, so just deal with it and don’t go crying a river to mommy and daddy. How will you handle college? Get with the picture now, because you all have been given an amazing opportunity to get ready for what most high school students call the "real world" of college. By the way, you’re not in the real world until you get a job and struggle to pay rent for your own place. Graduating high school or college and living in your parents’ basement is not the real world. 

You’re probably thinking, it’s all good for Rabita, she’s "smart," and a diligent student. You obviously don’t know a thing about me if you think that. I’m one of the biggest slackers I know, and any of my friends will tell you that. Procrastination is the chief word in my vocabulary. And yet I’ve gotten A’s in English before. If I can do it, really, anyone can. And I really emphasize that. If you have a bad grade in that class, it’s because you deserve it. Don’t use the class and workload as a scapegoat for your own lack of skill. You get exactly the grade you deserve for the work you did. 

I feel that many students at Mason don’t realize how lucky they are to attend such a prestigious school where it’s clear that the teachers really care about the educational and mental growth of the students. We’re very, very fortunate to have all these great resources and opportunities, such as the IB Program, so readily available to us. These educational opportunities are handed to us, and it’s our job to take advantage of them. 

It saddens me to hear my fellow students complaining so profusely about teachers and how much work they give. They don’t seem to know how incredibly lucky they are, that there are other students their own age, all over the world, who will never have the opportunities we do to be the best we can be. Millions of 16 and 17-year olds in the world pray for the opportunity just to learn how to read and write. And here we are, disrespectful spoiled brats complaining to the point of insolence about teachers who want nothing but the best for all of us. Open your eyes and really look around, and you’ll see that teachers really care about us. Would you be willing to put up with students like us for the amount of money that teachers get paid?

Hopefully I’ve opened up the eyes of just a few students at least. You knew what you were getting yourself into, so don’t complain about it and create an uproar with the help of your parents. Also, many students also complained about the handling of the whole grade situation by the English department. I’d like to remind everyone that the teachers of the English department are doing this for our benefit. They’re not getting paid extra to grade our papers and spend time after school to talk to us about our grades when they have so much work to do for their own classes. Personally, and also to many other students I’ve talked to, it was extremely rude of some other students to contradict and complain about the actions of the English department. All the teachers of the English department have spent much of their time and effort on making sure that our grades are fair and that we’re taken care of. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the entire English department on behalf of most, or at least some, IBH English 11 students. Although it doesn’t seem like it, we are very grateful.