The Ranger Online

Issue date: 9/21/07 Section: Opinion

Freshmen can avoid six-drop penalty

Students who began as freshmen this semester are facing tougher state mandates than the rest of us when it comes to dropping classes.

Incoming freshman will not be allowed to drop more than six classes for their entire undergraduate career.

Dropping fewer classes or none at all is something all students should strive for. However, the reality is that at some point you may need to withdraw from a class.

Most students drop classes because they are not happy with the instructor or they are failing. There are many preventative measures that can be taken during the semester; dropping a class should always be the last resort.

The first step to getting better grades in classes is showing up. Many students believe that because professors don't have mandatory attendance policies, it's a free pass for them to skip class. Not true. The only way you're going to pass a class is by showing up, learning and practicing the material.

Take advantage of the college tutoring labs, professors' office hours and any extra tutoring they offer.

Set up study groups with your classmates. Arrange your own learning communities to sign up for classes together.

Before signing up for classes, students should go online to the departmental pages to review a class syllabus. Talking to the professor before signing up for the class is also helpful. It allows students to find out what is expected in the class.

Even before dropping a class, talking to the professor could be helpful.

They can let you know about any extra study sessions or extra credit that might help you raise your grade.

Your education is the most important contribution you can make to your future. Make the most of it.

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Rape hoax endangers those not crying wolf

Many readers were probably rubbing their eyes with disbelief last week when they read that rape allegations made by a student last February were false.

The lie caused not only this college, but the community as well, to work itself into an uproar.

The incident also caused a media circus, with reports showing up in this paper and on several TV stations.

An investigation, which used scarce district resources, was conducted and fliers went up around the campus causing students, faculty and staff to fear walking to their cars at night.

Police, media and the district played along with the demented game because they dare not do so or else bear the brunt of accusations from the community that they did nothing.

Everyone rushed to investigate the incident and take actions to make sure our campus and community would be safe, but it was all a lie.

The announcements gave this college a black eye that no one rushed to fix when they found out it was a hoax, and now we are left with a tainted reputation.

Crying wolf renders the crier unbelievable and unreliable, and doing so endangers the entire community.

No matter what the situation may be, including crying rape or deceptively pulling fire alarms, hopefully, anyone thinking of making a false accusation in the future will consider the consequences.

It's a huge inconvenience, a waste of time and money, and lost educational opportunities - of all involved, not just themselves.

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Take those classes that you hate now

It seems that every student, no matter how smart, motivated or ambitious, avoids taking a required class that they hate.

That decision ultimately haunts them throughout their entire academic career.

Of course, the reasonable thing to do would be to take that math or science or English course the first semester as a freshman.

But that tends to happen less and less, ensuring the constant dread of the class that will never go away.

While it is the student's prerogative to take those courses now or later, and while that is one of the perks of being college students, it obviously behooves students to take these classes early.

Why?

Aside from the constant worry and dread that comes with putting something off for two to four years, there is the rule by the Texas Success Initiative program that students' SAT scores expire after three years - a rule that this college recognizes.

This requires students to retake the Accuplacer or Texas Higher Education Assessment test for a nominal fee that may ultimately place them in a developmental course.

Yes, the option is up to you, but so are the consequences.

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