Students need to do their fair share

Unless you’re an ostrich with your head stuck in the ground, or you simply don’t care, you have heard the buzzword of “retention” floating around campus lately.

Retention, for those who don’t know, is simply the ability to keep students at UNA throughout their academic career. Whether it is from grades, transferring to another institution or the inability to pay for school, UNA officials have taken this challenge on in full force.

Naming Dr. Thomas Calhoun the vice president for enrollment management was the biggest step in the right direction the university has made in a long time to improve our falling retention numbers.

Creating the academic success center, providing assistance through the writing center and offering free tutors to students are just a few things the university is doing to aid students.

The president, faculty and staff have stepped up to the plate to keep students here, but there is one thing missing: students should be in the batter’s box too.

I applaud our leaders on campus for taking on this epidemic that faces many college campuses across the nation. President Bill Cale said 30 percent of freshmen leave UNA’s campus within their first year for a number of reasons.

Sure, some students simply cannot pay for school or the expenses that come with being in a collegiate program, but the others that just don’t apply themselves need to get to work.

I see it day after day, the students who show up late, don’t pay attention, sleep during class and even those who just show up to take tests. I am sure that nine out of 10 of these students are the ones marching down to their department chair’s office to complain when their teacher fails them.

This isn’t OK anymore.

It all goes back to the reason most of us are here: a college degree that means something. UNA’s administration has said time after time that they will not ease up on students academically; they will only aid students who are struggling. I think this is a great idea, but students need to help themselves first.

I know there are students who sit with a math tutor each night, or go to the writing center once a day. I am not talking to those people. I am talking to the people who don’t even begin to try.  

For the love of all that is good and holy, just go to class. Engage in what the teacher is talking about. Listen to what questions your classmates have to ask.

I admit, when I first started at UNA, I thought I would never graduate because I suck at math. It’s official. I promise, I really suck at math. But I finally woke up and smelled the Einstein’s coffee and found a math teacher I could understand and obtain the knowledge to get through the class.

That’s what it is all about.

Taking your education into your own hands and taking an active role in learning is one of the principles of a college education.

Students who cannot “get it together” and skip class all the time should help themselves first, before ranting and raving about how awful a teacher is or how hard college is.