To the students of Bakersfield College: here is the proverbial flame to be lit underneath your behinds. This is higher education. It is not meant for the lazy and apathetic.
The problem of student apathy is pretty common among junior colleges. Students see their first two years here as a stepping stone to bigger and better things, so most don’t see the point in taking pride in their school. They pay their tuition, go to a minimum amount of classes to scrape by, and leave. The problem with BC is that not enough people care to push themselves to a university-comparable level, so it has become much less like a stepping stone and more like a high school with cigarettes.
This is your school. If there is a problem, you have a say in what happens to fix it. The Student Government Association has a lot of money collected that comes from every student’s registration fee. They need to spend this money on things the students of this school want and need, like the renovations they’ve started for the student lounge. If you want something beneficial done with the money you put into this school, it is your job to let someone know.
The SGA doesn’t know what to do with most of this money because students don’t care enough to tell them what they want to see done with their money. SGA representatives are actually assigned to go out and survey students about what changes they should make, and they’re having a hard time getting any information at all. They’ve even had to ask the students if they knew what the SGA does, because many don’t care enough to find out.
In addition to taking an apathetic stance on campus issues and events, most students remain apathetic about their personal education.
First, there are those who get their classes lined up but only show up for half the meetings. It eventually gets to the point where they drop out halfway through the semester when those who still need classes can’t get in.
There are those that come back year after year, trying to juggle a full load when they barely made it through one class the previous semester. A full load is called precisely that because it takes the commitment and time of a full time job. If you can’t make that commitment, move over for someone who can.
It would be understandable for those taking a full schedule to drop one if they get overwhelmed, but that’s easy to tell by the first drop date. We all pay money for these classes and take the time to apply to them. If you’d rather stay at home and play video games then drop out before it’s too late and let someone who cares take your place.
Too many times you hear students grumbling and complaining because professors keep the class working to the very last minute. But it’s the professors with the right attitude: “You paid for these classes, and I’m going to make it worth every penny.” There have even been times when the amount of participation was so dismal that a professor has had to stop the class and ask, “Does anyone want to be here?”
The truth is, many students expect to be let out early, they expect to be babied and coddled and pass without effort. It’s these students that cause the most problems because they are lowering the standards of learning at community college.
BC is supposed to be a college that satisfies lower level curriculum for just about any university you could wish to go to. That means your entry-level education is supposed to be identical to that you would get your first two years of any university. Yet students have brought this college down to such an extremely low level that even the average student, who does work that is considered passable at any other college, is passing with flying colors here.
Also heard often in the classroom is the phrase, “I would’ve passed but that smart kid threw off the curve.” There really are students who get angry with their fellow Renegades for achieving something. The fact is, the few who care about their education are the ones who do their work and consequently get better grades than anyone else. If you don’t want to be thrown off the curve then maybe you should actually try.
This is mostly a transition school, but for two years until you graduate or transfer, this is your college, your education and your responsibility.