With the drop deadline fast approaching -- at least in the College -- many students have only a few more days to finalize their schedules.
In the first two weeks of the semester, students have had a chance to assess such criteria as subject matter, teaching style, class size and textbook weight while they decide which courses to commit to for the semester.
These all may be useful considerations, but left unmentioned is one quality that will surround a student throughout the semester: the character of the classroom itself.
Second-year College student Brett Faulcon said his favorite learning environment is one where the professor can take advantage of a variety of media.
"I took a politics course during the January term and the professor had DVD, video [and] Powerpoint," Faulcon said. "I've never seen a professor use so many things and integrate them so well."
According to Faulcon, the easy access to the equipment available in many Clemons Library classrooms strongly influenced the course structure.
"First he would tell us the background or history of the state in question, then he would follow that up with an anecdote and then he would show us a film about the particular historical context," Faulcon said.
Faulcon noted that by repeating this process every day, it created a flow of history along with its political counterparts.
"In short, it was a beautiful class," Faulcon said.
First-year College student Ayisha Memon discussed classrooms from a more aesthetic standpoint. She pointed out the importance of comfort in the classroom.
"If I don't think the seats are comfortable, I can't concentrate," Memon said, citing Wilson 301 as an example.
Memon said difficulties can also arise if the lighting in the room is not quite right or if there is not enough space between seats.
Despite her views on classroom comfort, Memon said she has never actually used them while determining a schedule.
"I'm just a first year," Memon said. "I haven't had enough experience."
Third-year Nursing student Caitlin Smith said most of her classroom experience is in McLeod Hall, which she enjoys because "the rooms are smaller and there is only one auditorium."
Smith explained that the lack of real desks in an auditorium makes it difficult to manage one's papers and listen to the professor at the same time.
A good sound system can help, Smith said. "There are times when a professor does not speak clearly."
While media and comfort appear useful, some elements of a classroom may detract from the learning environment.
"If a classroom has a lot of windows, I tend to wander off a lot," Faulcon said. "Once, this girl was climbing the wall outside and I couldn't turn my eyes away for 10 minutes."
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