Re:Being a student isn't easy, it requires actual work
by DrJosiah on Friday October 29, 2010 @06:57PM
(#1849398)
This is a very good point. Some University professors get into it for research, some for teaching, not many for both. The problem is that Universities will typically cater to one type of professor, leaving the others scrambling to spend a lot of time doing the thing that they don't like (and which takes a lot of their time).
Also, Teaching Assistants really should be offered more in every level of education. A good TA can reduce the instructor's load significantly, while at the same time offering much better interaction ratios with students with questions.
A teacher who can explain difficult concepts can save you literally dozens of hours of self-study. At least, this has been the case in my experience. Having someone to ask questions of is huge. Having a good study group is not always a dependable solution.
On a more immediate level, if I have to spend three or four hours of useless time in class, that's time taken out of my schedule to actually learn the material.
Granted, I have a commute and a job and family, so it's not quite the same as if I were a 20-something undergrad, but should we value their time less than my own? Many universities are chock full of teachers who are good researchers and grant writers, not necessarily good professors, and I do feel that this is a big problem.