Students are finally settling into a daily routine at Southern University.
They begun to experience the real world as well as establishing friendships that will last after college.
However, most students main concern at this point in the semester is making the grade.
Some students would place that heavy burden on the backs of the teachers, since they are who teach the curriculum.
But one professor brings up an interesting point: it’s up to the student to decide whether or not they want to succeed.
“There is a responsibility on both the teacher and the student to understand each other and the material contained in the lesson,” said History Professor Eva Baham. “The teacher must present the lesson in a way that the student must understand, but the student also has to make the effort to remain focused, receive, and retain that information.
Professor Baham has also seen a marked improvement over the last few years in the success of her students.
“They are more enthusiastic, show better retention, and seem to be more committed; they want to learn ad become educated,” Baham said.
Physics Professor Rambabu Bobba said that he enjoys the experiences that he has had over the years at SU. He has taught here since 1986, with close to 200 students per semester.
“My course is required for engineering and our curriculum is excellent- ahead of many other larger universities,” Bobba said. “My days are packed with my intense class programs and other projects but I still try to make my office open to struggling students so that I can give a more personal, in-depth view to the individual and not just the class as a whole.”
Still, there is some faculty that just does not seem to click with the campus.
“One of my teachers has been missing a lot of class time,” said Marvin Hunt, an electronics engineering major. “I don’t even know if she has an office, let alone what her hours are. All of my other classes are great.” In fact, many students have the similar dilemmas: one teacher that just doesn’t seem to connect with them.
“One of my lab teachers is never there. Half the time we don’t know what to study; that’s the class we have once a week, so it’s really important we see her for that day,” said Charles Jefferson, an agriculture major.
Still, most teachers believe the success of this school and its participants clearly outweighs any negativity any one individual can bring.
“Right now, these students are 18-22 year olds just trying to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives,” said Baham. “Look at it as preparation for the future.”
