<p>We've just returned from an info day at BU, with a number of positive impressions, esp. re: Core curriculum and re: advising. But S attended a freshman seminar at 10:00 a.m. (admittedly the crack of dawn for many students), and said he was somewhat underwhelmed by the level of their discussion on what to him was a fascinating topic. This worries me a bit. Any comments?</p>
<p>TAs who have led different sections of the same course often report that the sections behave totally differently: same lectures, same readings, same number of students in the section, and totally different outcomes. In other words, it is difficult to judge on the basis of that one seminar session. It could be the general quality of the students; it could be the time of the day; it could be the dynamics of that particular group; it could be--gasp--that they had not done the reading. Did he attend any other class?</p>
<p>Are you speaking generally, or specifically to BU? S only attended one session, taught, I think, by an actual professor. I know from my own teaching that often students are pretty quiet, depending on day, time, and whether they've read. Good profs seem to assure, through assignments, that a critical mass have done the reading. What he was complaining about was that he felt they didn't engage the subject matter in the interesting way it had been posed.</p>
<p>I'm speaking generally. Different groups of students react different to the same text. Again, I was told that a particular text had led to a very lively discussion in one group; while another group had not seemed particularly engaged. I note that some books which moved me when I read them leave my S quite unmoved.
It may well be that the students in that seminar were typical--or it may not. It's hard to judge on the basis of just one visit. Another thought: was the class held the day after a big sporting event, like, this morning? Someone was telling me he took the T yesterday and everybody seemed to be headed to Fenway, which, of course, is very close to BU.</p>
<p>It could be a symptom or could be just a bad day. I took a class at our local college. Sometimes the class was awake, vibrant, enegegic, other days- if it was foogy, cold, rainy, we were less enthusided. Here in SF, after a Giants game, people aren't so focused.</p>
<p>That will be at any school. And sometimes, you will get students, who are on oneday and off another. Or the particular dynamics of one group. </p>
<p>What was the topic btw.</p>
<p>My s had a brilliant friend who sat in on physics classes. He absolutely LOATHED the astrophysics class at H. Thought it was completely underwhelming? As a 17 year old? (This from the boy who, age 8, used to come into my kitchen and ask me to tell him everything I knew about Black Holes. Short conversation; ie "Honey! The boys need you!")</p>
<p>OTOH, he loved the classes at U of Chicago and signed up when he got in. (turned down H).</p>