Class Activity: College Expectations

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Goal: Get students to start thinking about the expectations that college instructors will have for them.

Activity:

1. Break students into groups and ask them to review the list of statements below:

• Instructors will tell you exactly what to do and when to do it.
• Managing your time will be challenging.
• You are expected to study and learn on your own; getting help is not encouraged.
• If you take an online class, it will likely be easier than an in-person class.
• Arriving late to class every once in a while isn’t a big deal.
• During each class, your instructor will describe the assignment that will be due during the next class meeting. 
• If you want to withdraw from a course, you will be automatically unenrolled if you don’t show up for two classes in a row.
• When you email an instructor, it’s okay to be informal; you don’t need to follow the normal rules of punctuation.

2. Each group should then discuss each statement - is it true? What does that mean for their college experience?

3. After about ten-fifteen minutes, discuss these statements as a class.

4. Finally, ask students the following question: Why do you think colleges have such high expectations of their students? Discuss as a class, or have students answer in a written reflection as a homework assignment.