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By the
For some students, "required" textbook readings
are more of a hopeful suggestion by professors
BY ADAM CHERRY
NEWS REPORTER
lextbooks: always required,
usually expensive, sometimes
X boring and occasionally
ignored — at least by some
University students.
Skipping out on required reading is
a classic student trick for decreasing
class workloads.
Jacob Goudy, a sophomore
business administration major,
admitted he spends a total of
major in biology and physiology, said
she reads her textbooks four to five
hours every day.
Lee said the pressure of always
being busy motivates her to do
her reading.
“When you have time, you use it,”
she said.
“I sometimes read half the course
load (during the break between
terms),” she said, adding that
it helps
She has a system to keep
herself focused.
“Since I am pretty busy, I
always write as I read,” said Lee. "I
highlight and write in the text.”
By writing summaries of
paragraphs, Lee ensures that she gets
the point of what she reads
before moving on.
Lee added that if the textbook
has a summary of the chapter or
notes are available on a novel, she
tries to read them first so she has an
idea of what to pay attention to in
the text.
“Sometimes, it’s harder to do
reading if you don’t know the text as
a whole.”
duuui mice nuuia icdumg uie
entire term.
“It’s pointless, because
with all the teachers
I have, the lectures
sum it up,” Goudy
said. “I spent $137
for my accounting
book, and I have
not cracked it once
the entire term.
“In one of my
poly sci classes, I
Professors have a number of
tricks to keep students
reading, such as
giving pop quizzes or
calling on students at
random in class.
Some are even
known to kick out
students who
don’t do the
reading prior
to class.
History pro
MMiHiiaii
lcciu uic giuasaiy
because we have a vocab test,”
he said. “I’ve aced every one of
those quizzes.”
Goudy said he holds a 3.0 GPA.
“If I read the book, I’d probably
study more,” he said. “But does it
justify me spending 40 hours per
week reading for another .5 on my
GPA? No.”
Goudy said he doesn’t feel guilty
when he sells back the book at the
end of the ternl
“I keep all the cash. It goes toward
my alcohol for the first few weeks of
the next term,” he said.
Yunah Lee, a sophomore double
take pressure off during the term. “I
can’t read any faster than I do now. ”
Lee said she has a few tips
for students who have trouble
motivating themselves to read.
“Know where you study best,” she
said. Lee often does her reading in
the library where there’s nothing to
distract her.
However, Lee is subject to
the same difficulties in reading that
other students are. She often finds
her reading boring and occasionally
has to read things twice.
“If I’m tired, I’ll always space out,”
she said.
lessor Matthew
Dennis said it’s annoying when stu
dents don’t read, but he under
stands that students get swamped.
“I don’t take it personally,”
Dennis said.
“It seems like a waste if they don’t
take the time to do the reading,” he
added. “We’re busy, so we hate to
have our time wasted and to waste
other people’s time. If the students
don’t do the reading, they won’t fully
understand lectures.... It’s much more
enjoyable to teach (when students
read).”
adamcheTry@dailyemerald.com
Racking
the brain
The sometimes-illusive 4.0 GPA comes at a steep price
for students who wouldn't have it any other way
BY DAVE ZOOK
DAILY EMERALD FREELANCE REPORTER
l 11-nighters, cram sessions
and Friday nights at the
X JLlibrary aren’t what most
students envision when thinking
about the good times in college. For
some, these unattractive aspects of
college life are a harsh reality.
For others, they are a distant,
unwanted fantasy. While studying
often leads to success in the com
petitive and challenging academic
world, a heavy workload can also
eclipse social events, relationships
and extracurricular activities.
“Sure, you can do anything too
much,” journalism professor Mark
Blaine said about excessive studying.
He said studying can become an
addiction when students become
obsessed with their course work.
Dealing with struggling students is
part of Blaine’s job as the
current professor of the School of
Journalism and Communication’s
notoriously time-consuming infor
mation gathering course.
“You can devote a lot of time to
something and not get a lot done,
and that’s when studying as a vice
can come in,” he said.
Blaine strongly advocates staying
focused on finishing the assign
ment, even if every detail
isn’t worked out. He said many of
the students he sees struggling are
the perfectionists.
“You can obsess a little too much;
a lot of the time you don’t have time
to be a perfectionist,” he said.
“Balance is key, a couple hours a
day every single day.”
Senior history major Dan Harns
berger shared similar sentiments.
“If you keep a pace, it’s not a
problem,” he said, adding that he
finds studying time consuming and
difficult, but manageable.
In the midst of writing his thesis,
Harnsberger spends at least a cou
ple hours in the library Monday
through Saturday and anywhere
from three to five hours or more on
Sundays. He is a 4.0 student and
pursues an A grade every time.
“Shooting for a 4.0, the studying
starts into overkill sooner or later,”
he said.
The relentless onslaught of
papers, midterms and projects
are not to be taken lightly for
serious students. The University’s
Academic Learning Services
recommends 22 hours of studying
per test over about four weeks to
receive an A grade.
Chances are the majority of
students fall well behind this
approach. While Blaine does see a
small percentage of his students in
overkill, he sees the majority
creating problems for themselves by
leaving too much for too late,
proving that for some, studying is
anything but a vice.
Still, there are students who let
the future benefits of studying
propel them toward over-studying.
Good study habits can lead to
better grades and perhaps greater
post-college success.