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| University of Pennsylvania |
The give and take of the college
classroom, the professors and their teaching assistants, the availability of tutors
and writing centers, fellow classmates working and studying together; upper
classmen assisting underclassmen, the genuine proximity of the education being
offered. More than education is shared
on the college campus. And I’m not
talking about partying.
While younger college students
learn to become self-sufficient, older college students may struggle to
understand new material. Students come
to a particular course from different stages in their curriculums. Many times the
physical presence in a classroom can afford a camaraderie that is not present
in the online classroom.
The physical college stetting can
help students learn how to work with people from different backgrounds, discover
different methods to analyze and evaluate class projects, perhaps fill in some missing
knowledge for each other.
I brought life experience to my
college education. Even though I had
basic skills math to obtain college level math skills, there were educational
holes in my knowledge base that fellow younger students filled in for me. We worked together in numerous projects, each
bringing an understanding that another hadn’t considered.
Most physical colleges offer
opportunities to their students where they can stretch their political or artistic
wings, create a new community group or college periodical. They can learn about other cultures firsthand through
fellow students or professors. Students can
study abroad, take classrooms in the field of research, take advantage of internships,
and scholarships to continue their education.
The brick and mortar institution,
with all its components, is an asset in a student’s learning journey. Together with opportunities afforded to the student
body, attending college within a learning community fosters the sharing of
knowledge. What do you think?