When forming my perception of a college professor before entry I pictured an archaic individual who found comfort in solely beckoning his or her hand towards a chalkboard. My childhood vision was, fogged and….WRONG. From the moment that I set foot into my first lecture on campus, which happened to be COM 101- taught by associate Dean Tammy Vigil- I immediately noticed how down to earth and personable the professors and faculty members at BU are.
Prior to entry, I would have never thought that an early morning lecture would be enjoyable but again college changes your perception. From watching and discussing short clips of animated films like Pixar’s “Up” to analyzing the marketing strategies embedded within pop culture shows like Modern Family the college classroom is the definition of engagement. These exampled encounters extend to the entirety of the BU community. For instance the history department sponsored a bus trip to view the Gilded Age mansions in Newport Rhode Island. I have tagged along with my friends assigned scavenger hunts within the Museum of Fine Arts and at historical sites.
One bit of advice, GO TO OFFICE HOURS. At the beginning of every semester a syllabus is personally distributed, emailed, and posted online. On the top corner of those detailed course bibles are posted hours of teacher availability. VISIT. Trips to professor office hours create an increased opportunity for students to mold a better relationship with faculty as well as clear up questions of confusion. Teacher LOVE to see the presence of a student, it shows that you’ve taken the time to discuss the material even more depth. Every professor has office hours along with teaching assistants; BU is swarming with an abundance of resources and conversations.
Just the other day I attended a panel discussion about pop culture. This discussion was put together by all of the RA’s on the COM floors (see previous blog post for more info). The panel consisting of professors within COM offered a great conversation about the impact of pop culture to society, social media, and the media at large. The event was held later in the night, yet professors sacrificed their time and energy to be with students to share their passion for communication. The amount of commitment that I’ve noticed professors and faculty members uphold motivates as a student. I realize more and more, by the day, how this is truly one united Terrier Nation.
Taylor W.
