Dear Professors,
As an English major and a Business major, I realize that the best way to learn things (besides being taught in class), is to read! But tell me, how do you expect your students with four or five other classes to keep up with all of your reading assignments if the other professors are requiring just the same (whether it is more or less)? How can professors expect quality reading, with quantity reading?
You complain when students can't keep up, but in reality, we are TRYING. We really are. From a personal standpoint, I always get my work done no matter how impossible it might be. This doesn't mean that I am benefiting from what I am reading. By the end of your required pages along with other assignments for your class, plus that of other classes, I find it hard to read every word in detail. Everything just becomes jumbled and I can guarantee that I will find myself reading sentences without understanding what is going on.
As a lover of reading and writing, this is a really tough topic to touch upon because it is almost hypocritical.
Normally I would believe that there is no such thing as reading too much, but when my eyes are begging me to shut them because they are so dry from constantly staring at a book or screen, and I am practically yawning, can you really blame me for believing otherwise?
I and many other students understand that intellectual readings and important pieces of work, may not necessarily mean we will enjoy them. All I am saying is that there should be some type of limit. If you over-assign work to your students, there is a high chance they are skimming, struggling to read while losing sleep and not focusing on the text at all, and truly not gaining any insight into what they are reading. They probably won't be able to summarize what they have read. Not only that, but you are taking them from any outside reading they might want to read (for fun), and it designates a negative outlook on reading in general. I don't know about you, but after a semester of reading, the last thing I want to do is pick up another book for my own enjoyment. Sad to say, I instantly need a break from reading.
It is possible that because I am told to read these works, I assume it to be something I may not want to read ( but I always try to give it the benefit of the doubt). It leaves no room for anyone who doesn't like to read, to actually try to like it.
This semester is pretty tough for me. I have difficulty staying up late, so I try to accomplish everything I possibly can while I have the time. This isn't a simple 10-15 page reading where you then reflect on a paper or take notes, no, its double or triple that, while trying to complete other assignments for the rest of your classes (and let's not forget about working while in school).
All I have to ask is: Professors, do you not remember the stress of being a student? Shouldn't the quality of our learning come from a quality reading and quality time in class?
That's all.
Love,
An already stressed out student
