Anonymous

Going to school at a junior college definitely has it's advantages. For instance, I pay next to nothing in tuition...actually, I pay nothing at all. According to the financial aid office I'm eligible for some sort of "waiver" and all of my tuition is being refunded. I have no idea what that's all about, and I was afraid to ask for fear that I'd realize a mistake had been made, and feel compelled to make the correction. I also like that the school parking lot is never full, and for some reason this school, or at least my department, doesn't hold classes on Fridays.

However, it's not all great. I really don't like small classes. I do not like my instructor to know me by name, and I do not want to play get to know you games with the people sitting next to me, or stand up and tell the whole class about my "hobbies" on the first day. I also resent the fact that the instructors take role. What do they care whether or not I come? They're still getting paid, and it's my transcript at stake. Furthermore, I don't appreciate knowing that I will be locked out of class if I show up more than 5 minutes late, or that my instructor wants to be given advance notice via email if I might be tardy.

I don't understand those people who think that small classes are inherently better. They're horrible. Having a small class only enables the instructor to be breathing down your neck, micromanaging your every move. This is something that I never encountered at the university level, and I miss that feeling of anonymity, or maybe it's just independence, not feeling like my instructor is trying to be my parent. I have one class that's held in an auditorium, the instructor is more than willing to help you out with something if you schedule some office time, he doesn't take role, and he doesn't care who I am, or even ask me my name, and it's a welcome relief.