Virginia Tech Student Reviews

Academic Life

Last week I walked past my English professor and he stared me in the eyes and said, "Hello Kelley, how are you". I almost yelled my response, I was just so surprised. These professors will get to know you if you want to get to know them. I have yet to have a professor that isn't fully open and patient with his students, and office hours are a really convenient way to get a hold of them. People here can't get away with slacking. Just because 'Ivy League' isn't stamped on our front porch doesn't mean that it is easy to get on the Dean's list. You HAVE to study, you HAVE to do well on mid-terms and fluff grades if you want to pass the courses. I cannot count how many times I have sat back after eating a hearty D2 meal, rubbed my belly, and started off on what I learned in my Geology course. It sounds completely nerdy but my friends and I genuinely are interested in most of our courses and will often casually chat about their highlight moments. When the conversation turns into debate about society, religion, and politics I can only smile because I can feel my mind growing and understanding more everyday. My least favorite course thus far has been sociology. It was a drag. Overheads and the occasional movie that our quickly aging professor couldn't ever seem to sufficiently play, rounded out a boring Tuesday and Thursday morning. What I finally realized though, is that it was the professor that made the course boring. The information was generally thought-provoking...professors just can't get by making us stare at power points all day. It makes it seem like my eyes are been dried from my skull. It will be the end of me. Honestly though, most seem to be learning this and my Geology professor this semester puts up overheads and stands in front of them to point and gesture and engage the class with his movement. My American literature professor takes this movement to a new level when he does personal theatrical productions, playing, by himself, up to three characters so we can better comprehend a situation we read about. He runs across the front of the room changing his voice and simultaneously creeping us out and teaching us how to 'see' what is happening with The English department, though some students still crinkle their eyebrows and wonder why I'm at a TECHNICAL school for English, is amazing. They don't think I'm weird at all. Every professor in the department seems to be passionate about their specific subject area. We had an Intro class that all majors are now required to take, and although the course is just getting off the ground the concept behind it is extremely important for English majors. We made a resume and learned in depth about the different tracks available in English and future internship, study abroad, and career opportunities for specifically English-inclined students. In my Geology lab we are correlating sediment samples. Boring? Maybe. Practical? Yes. That is an actual job in the Oil Industry (and who doesn't want to work for them?). It was the first time I really felt like I was doing something that could be a future career. Labs are where what we learn turns into something tangible. A friend of mine went into a forest and learned how to control a forest fire and route which houses would be threatened...on a Tuesday afternoon. How cool!