4. What do Professor's Have to Say About Students?

I spoke with two professors at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire about their views on students’ behaviors. All in all, the results were not too positive. Pamela Forman, sociology professor stated that she has seen a lot of changes since her early years as a professor. “More students try to cheat through plagiarism. More students have problems focusing on school, because of the pressures of outside jobs. Fewer students have the confidence to express their opinions in the classroom. More students seem to cope with stress through excess drinking. I have more students who struggle with depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, serious illnesses as well,” she said. So with all of these negative changes in behavior, do we as students have any redeeming qualities? According to Forman, “the only positive change is that students overall are better writers.” Dr. Thao Yang, chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire states that students are very friendly towards him and he’s even received presents from a few of his students. “I have received many holiday cards and thank you cards from students who have come to ask me for help,” he said. He also has noticed that some students are lazy and do not like to ask for help. “If a student is failing my class I try my best to help them but if they do not take advantage of it, then their success in the class does not bother me,” said Yang. Both of these professor’s mimic Rebekah Nathan’s results in her book, My Freshman Year. She contributed that students are most likely not to receive or ask for help when they are struggling, and they are quiet during class discussions. She agrees with Forman in the sense that a lot of students fall asleep during her lectures. So does the problem lie within the way the information is presented to students? Or does it lie in the daily activities of our own lives?