Managing Editor Jarred DeHerrera and Writer Madeline Klepec take opposing views on the concept of “jumbo” (extra long) classes on campus.
Jarred DeHerrera: Jumbos mean more freedom
As a current commuter and a former resident at North Central College, I can happily say that I love taking jumbo-style classes. There is a certain beauty to the 10-week long trimester (or quarter, maybe term… who really knows anymore?) where as a student, we can attend a class for the shortest amount of time possible, regardless of if we like the class or not.
The great thing about that schedule is that for the most part, we have three choices. Go to class three times a week for 70 minutes each, go to class twice a week for an hour and 50 minutes each, or finally, my personal favorite, the jumbo, which is technically on the schedule once a week for three and a half hours.
Personally, I am the kind of guy who will do my homework the night before or the day of, no matter how much time it will take in that one sitting. That means that for those Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes, there will be homework three times a week and not only that, but for commuters, that means coming back to campus three separate times.
Now I understand that the main complaint with night classes is the time commitment at the end of the day for one night of the week. People claim that their attention spans won’t let them sit through the three and a half hours of class lecture. I guess it’s a good thing I’m a patient guy.
The truth of the matter is that most professors know that our attention spans are short, which is the sole reason that some give 10-minute long breaks and others let class out 30 minutes to an hour early each week. In reality, the jumbo is usually made up of an hour and a half of lecture, with a 10-minute break, finished with another hour or so of continued discussion. Rarely have I been in a jumbo that takes the full time without a break.
In my second term of my senior year this year, I am taking two night classes on Tuesday and Wednesday, along with a lab science on Tuesday and Thursday, plus newspaper for credit. That’s a four-day weekend every week, with more time that I can spend writing articles like this.
Although it varies from major to major, it doesn’t take a scheduling wizard to configure a night class to work out in your favor. I am a big fan of the jumbo night class and if you aren’t, that’s completely fine; more seats at 6:30 p.m. to chose from.
Madeline Klepec: Jumbos — A college student’s worst nightmare
Photo by Bob Tomaszewski
Worst-case-scenario for a college student? A three-and-a-half-hour class that lasts until 10 p.m. No matter the topic of the class, these classes are intolerable. It could be a class about my favorite TV show, but I would still find a way to complain about it. OK, unless it was a Hallmark Christmas movie class, then I would be all for it. If you’re like me and have a morning class and then a class from 4 to 5:50 p.m., you would probably dread going straight to your jumbo until 10 p.m. Maybe I’m just being lazy. Even though I have a break between my morning class and my 4 o’clock class, I am usually writing articles for blogs I write for or doing homework for other classes. They’re busy, hectic days.
Another downfall is that there are only 10 classes. Ten classes don’t leave much time to save your grade if it’s in potential danger. That means there are less assignments to be assigned. Not to say I’m a slacker, but I like security in grades. The more assignments, the better. When it’s to the point when I wish for more homework, you know it’s bad. I would rather have more homework and more classes a week than have one three-and-a-half-hour class once a week.
By the time class is over, I am hungry and ready to fall asleep. But wait! I can’t because then I have to go back to my dorm room to do homework. As I stated above, 6 to 10 p.m. is the primetime for doing homework for other classes. Jumbos mess with my studying, workout, eating and even sleep schedule.
Then there’s the issue of trying not to fall asleep at your desk. “It’s hard to stay awake late at night,” said senior Bob Tomaszewski. You’re sitting in your desk, desperate to not fall out of your chair. It’s a battle between wanting to pay attention and just daydreaming about falling into your bed when you get back to your dorm room. In conclusion, jumbos are dreadfully long and should not be a thing.
