The University has a very competitive student body. Due to its low acceptance rate and competitive application process, people who are offered admission are naturally some of the truly superior applicants. Most of them are used to being overachievers, so being exposed to people as bright as they are — and most of the time even brighter — is a frightening experience. A lot of the time, the natural result of this exposure is a loss of confidence, poor-decision making, panic and a lack of a sense of direction. Is this an unavoidable part of the college experience, or is it a result of the University not doing enough to foster a balance between competition and collaboration? I believe most of the blame lies on the University.
Education is a process, and it should be treated as such. There will always be numerous factors in play when talking about a student’s academic performance and intellectual development. At the very least, the first thing one remembers when thinking of education shouldn't be the countless sleepless hours one has spent locked in Clemons Library. The process of education involves the actual development of one’s intellectual and reasoning capacities. The result of anything else in a student is the equivalent of designing a tool for a single purpose that contributes to a larger cause— like a spoke on a wheel.
I am not saying we should eliminate competition from universities; I believe it will always be part of every educational environment. But competition is an aspect of student life that needs to be constantly monitored and regulated by the University faculty. For starters, professors need to reevaluate the competitive grading systems by which they currently base a student’s progress, and whether their curricula foster the healthy atmosphere needed to truly meet their educational objectives.
The University must also consider the effects competitiveness has on a student’s education and health. This begins with asking certain questions: why do students feel pressured to achieve academic success? As students, what is really expected from us? But before we ask those questions, we should analyze what measures have already been put into place that could potentially address this issue and the effectiveness of current programs and initiatives.
We all know about Counseling and Psychological Services, which could prove to be a good tool for anyone confronting the issue at hand — but it might not be good enough. Some student advisors can definitely provide a sense of relief to a lot of students, but many don’t seem to serve a role that goes beyond the academic aspect of a student’s time here. However, this type of assistance is still not sufficient for addressing the issues competition could inflict on some people. Students should be constantly exposed to the notion that they are all bright in their own way and that their role inside the University goes beyond satisfying the requirements of their respective schools.
COLA classes serve a very useful role in promoting a healthy educational process through their intimacy, deviation from the traditional course subjects and innovative approach to certain issues. The instructor of a COLA class becomes the advisor for the students enrolled until they declare a major. This is a factor that ensures the student develops a personal relationship with the teacher. The problem, however, is that many students choose not to enroll — and sometimes drop-out — because they are optional. By making a COLA class a required course for every first-year student, these new members of the University community would be immediately exposed to a different approach to learning — learning that is not based on competition but rather on actual education. This might be a good first step the University could take in order to ensure students are quickly exposed to a type of learning that deviates from what they are accustomed to experiencing.
As I previously stated, human nature dictates that competition will always be a part of any educational environment to some extent. It must be noted, then, that the most effective regulator of competition is collaboration. Putting in place programs that connect students with other students in order to share advice, motivation and a sense of comfort is the most effective way the University can ensure its students’ emotional, intellectual and psychological health. Eliminating a cut-throat atmosphere and establishing a collaborative environment seems necessary not only in upholding a community of trust, but also in upholding a sense of unity. The social and institutional pressure on students to achieve academic success might one day bend the student body to its breaking point. And the University needs to alleviate these pressures in order to guarantee a truly safe and healthy educational environment.
Carlos Lopez is a Viewpoint writer.
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