Unknowingly Deprived

          If I may ask, are you aware that we, Norsunians, have been somehow deprived of sufficient education in this institution we considered as our pride, our hope and our future?

          Most likely, your answer would be NO. Perhaps, you have been satisfied with the quality of education that NORSU is offering. I, for one, do also agree with you in some ways. No doubt that NORSU’s program offerings are of good quality because we have a lot of highly qualified instructors serving for Norsunians. Our university has some of the most outstanding professionals in various fields. However, that doesn’t end there. Their academic profiles are not the only bases to rate our educational quality.

          Come to think of some instances where we have been deprived of ‘sufficient time’ in teaching. In this university, we are implementing a twice or thrice a week meeting for regular subject courses. Probably, that’s somehow enough for us to learn sufficiently if and only if our instructor will always be present in almost all sessions. But straight classes like these could be a burden for us, right? Admit it. Not unless you are really that ‘responsible’ student.

          Once we’ve heard that our instructors will be absent for quite a long time for they’ll be attending a week-long seminar in a faraway place, it’s like the whole class will celebrate for it! But, the question, is that really a good news? Will we learn something from it?

          This is just similar to what Norsunians usually experience during the preparation for our annual Founders Week Celebration. For about a month before the actual week of the event, classes were shortened in order to give time for some students to have their daily rehearsals for different cultural competitions they were into. This could be another good news for some, a rest month perhaps! But then, this is really a great evidence of deprivation in our part. Our parents, relatives and some scholarship donors are paying good amount just for us to experience the education in a university yet we experience less time to have it. Remember, we’re not here to enjoy free times but to have memorable learning experiences. We are here to study and not to self-study and self-learn just because our teachers rarely attend our classes.

          Please don’t get me wrong. Mind you, I’m not a KJ! I’m not acting as hypocrite here because even I also enjoy these rest days. It’s just that I have noticed that most Norsunians were unknowingly deprived of the things that they are supposed to enjoy–the proper education. If we’re looking for leisure times, 3-5 hours subject load per day is not that too big to consume one whole day. It’s just a matter of time management.

          This is a very serious challenge for the new designated leaders NORSU especially those in connection with the academic affairs. I suggest, as an ordinary student, please implement activities and reforms that will pave a way towards students’ betterment and not only for what the students want you to do.