Big classes not conducive to semesters

Smith is a second-year undeclared student.

By Sophia Smith

The discussion that has emerged over whether UCLA should switch
to a semester system raises a lot of important issues, but we
shouldn’t let these blind us to the fact that remaining in a
quarter system would best suit UCLA.

Idan Ivri is correct in his assertion that a semester system is
more appropriate for smaller schools (“Quarter system meets
needs of large campus,” Viewpoint, Feb. 15). If switching
UCLA from a quarter to a semester system is meant to improve the
school academically, there are some big problems.

Classes at UCLA are so big and so broad in content that their
quick finish is their only saving grace. It’s not
professors’ fault either: when you have more than 20 or 30
students, it becomes more and more difficult to teach a class
interactively and at a faster pace.

A professor cannot really interact productively with students
during large lectures; instead graduate students have to give their
interpretation during discussion sections (for those classes that
have even that).

When a professor has so many students, he or she cannot know how
intelligent each is compared to the other. In a small class of 15
or 20, a professor can identify the appropriate pace for his class:
if they’re smart, go faster, if not, go slower. Since you
can’t do this in a lecture that has anywhere from 150-350
people, the professor is forced into the default: the very broad
and general. This means students who find themselves bored to tears
because the material is so easy, they don’t go to class.

True, many of the large classes are introductory courses, and
hence, they should be broad. But the level to which some of them
drop is incredible; I get flashbacks of my high school study
groups.

Granted, staying in a quarter system won’t solve this
problem, either. But moving to a semester system will make it
worse: you have to stay in the GE classes you “just want to
get over with” for five or six more weeks. That’s five
to six more weeks I’m wasting on something I don’t care
at all about.

No one can make me care about chemistry or math, no matter how
long they keep me.

The semester system will probably mean you have to take fewer
classes, but I think students would prefer taking an extra class or
two in the quarter system, rather than taking a few that last too
long. Imagine it being week 14 in Math 31B. I shudder.

Cody Cass, on the opposite side of the debate, argued that
semesters are beneficial to students’ social lives and
general health (“Students harmed by a fast-paced
education” Viewpoint, Feb. 15).

This is true ““ semesters would probably make life a little
easier for us all; it would allow us to procrastinate more. But you
have to remember, the main purpose of coming to college isn’t
to relax, college is supposed to be tough, it’s supposed to
stress you out and make you cry. College’s purpose is to to
prepare you for the real world, not going to Royce Hall for lecture
and Rieber Hall for dinner.

If we didn’t procrastinate as much as we do now ““
maybe go to one less party a month and study ““ we
wouldn’t be as stressed as we are, studying on Saturday
nights as Cass says.

Switching to semesters will not solve the fact that professors
and students don’t really intermingle either. It’s true
that a semester would allow professors more time to get to know
their students, but when it comes down to it, it’s still 100
to 300 students a professor is dealing with; the sheer numbers will
continue to negatively affect the quality of professor-student
relations.

Besides, students, as Cass said, want to familiarize themselves
with professors in order to secure a letter of recommendation in
the future. This can still be done in a quarter system, it just has
to be more strategic: rather than trying to get to know all your
professors, single out two or three and get to know those well.
After all, you only need two letters for most jobs and grad school
applications. Thus, with a little change, social life and getting
to know professors can occur just as easily in the quarter
system.

If we do decide to change to a semester system, I only ask that
classes be made smaller ““ the many direct and indirect
consequences of large classes justify it.

If not, then let us stay in a quarter system where we can at
least finish off classes that do nothing for us faster.