First, all of my classes are small. For instance, our English class. We only have twenty-five students in our class while state schools have over hundreds of students per class. Imagine sitting in large lecture hall where the professor (or teaching assistant) lectures for an hour. With the large class size there is no opportunity for discussion and questions. As a student it would be hard to sit through a lecture not being able to share your opinion. At schools like Gonzaga, discussions are encouraged. We have the ability to share and ask questions because of the small class sizes. Also, most professors know the names of their students. I feel valued when the professor knows my name. At a large school you would never feel like you had a personal relationship with your professor.
Another benefit in small schools is the offering of office hours. If I need help on any assignment, I can go to my professor’s office hours and receive help. Like myself you have probably utilized this advantage. I have gone to all of my professor’s office hours for help and to introduce myself. During these office hours the professors are not only helping you academically, but are taking the opportunity to get to know you. When I went to office hours all of my professors ask me about my day and how school is going. This shows how much they care. By meeting a professor during their office hours they can start to understand you as a student and as a person. At a large university the professors are not available for one on one help, you would have to rely friends or possibly a teaching assistant. For instance, my friend who attends the University of Washington is not offered office hours by her professors. She explained that if she she needs help she has to ask friends or looks for help online. We are lucky to attend a school that offers office hours.
Gonzaga has shown me the importance of small class sizes and office hours in college academics. As students we would not have the ability to know each other and our professors as well. Thank you Gonzaga for the learning environment you provide us.
Reflection:
I believe my piece is engaging because of my descriptions, examples and comparisons that are in my writing. I capture the reader’s attention starting with journey that all of my classmates went through, the college decision. My questions during this story hopefully made the reader reflect on their own decision making process. My use of comparisons to large universities helped support my argument because they showed how great small schools really are. The descriptions of large universities added a story like feel. Stories are always a captivating feature of writing. My piece can also be considered original because I reflect on my own experience with office hours and compare it to my friend’s experience.
regina ballew