Feb, 2001.
Volume 43, No. 18

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The Carillon brings you the weekly news from the University of Regina.

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The Editor
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(306)-586-8867
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(306)-586-7422
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University of Regina

At many universities there are students who do not speak in class, or become involved in any extracurricular activities­they are invisible.

These are the students who attend their classes and then promptly return home. They refrain from participating in extracurricular activities and even their own classes.

Jennifer Sikorski, a first-year student at the U of R, feels that the transition from high school to university can be really difficult for some students.

"The first-year students are experiencing a culture shock," explains Sikorski. "Going into university you have a lot of expectations and assumptions."

One of these expectations is to pass their classes. Sikorski feels that some students spend most of their free time concentrating on their homework instead of going out and socializing.

Unfortunately, for those first time students who wish to join in university activities, there can be problems.

"Being a first-year student, I found that a lot of the activities are for people who are 19 and older. This excludes a lot of first-year students."

This inability to participate is yet another barrier in some students' ability to meet new people and make new friends.

Dr. Brian Sveinson, director of Counselling Services and a registered psychologist, explains that there are two different types of people­the extraverts and the intorverts. The extroverts are very outgoing while introverts are shy and reclusive. Introverted people often hold off participating in class or extracurricular activites due to anxiety.

"I feel that people who are shy have an anxiety related to fear of how people will respond to them and a fear of criticism," says Sveinson.

He says that confidence is also a key factor. Not everyone wants to speak out in front of a whole classroom of strangers. He suggests that professors initiate small group discussions and projects so that introverted students can be eased into becoming more active.

Another factor that can be difficult for some students is being from a small town. These students are used to small classes where they know all their classmates and their teachers. At university, they may end up having a class in a huge lecture hall where they don't know any of the other students and feel like they are just a number to the professor. This can increase feelings of shyness and isolation.

Dr. Cynthia MacKenzie, an English professor at the U of R, knows this feeling all too well.

MacKenzie herself was from a small town and she found university life overwhelming at times.

"I remember on one day I had two classes and a lunch break in between them," says MacKenzie.

"Instead of staying at the university for my break I would run home and then run back to the university, barely making it to my second class."

While MacKenzie can sympathize with these students, it can be very frustrating teaching them.

She finds that her classes are sometimes very quiet. She ends up just standing up in front of the class and speaking.

She adds, "And then, when the course evaluations are handed in, I am criticized by some students for just lecturing all the time."

MacKenzie's advice for students that are finding it hard to participate is to meet with their professors privately to discuss their concerns.

Randie Hyam, president of the PAS society, disagrees with MacKenzie's "small town" theory.

Hyam herself is from a small town, yet she is very outgoing and involved in her university education.

She feels that the issue of time is more of a factor for these students.

"A lot of people work or have other responsibilities outside of university," explains Hyam. "This leaves very little time for students to get involved in extracurricular activities."

According to Hyam, there is also the issue of being informed about what activities the university has to offer.

"A lot of people ask me how I got involved with the PAS society. People don't realize that these societies are even there."

Dr. Murray Knuttila, Dean of Arts, also disagrees with the "small town" theory.

Instead, Knuttila feels that it is the way that we are cultured that determines how active we are in university.

"We are so used to acting like sponges. We just sit there and absorb information. This happens in our religious institutions, for example, and even here at the university."

Knuttila's views can explain the drastic changes he has made to his Social Studies 110 class.

Less emphasis is spent on note-taking and lecturing. Instead, students are encouraged to participate in class discussions.

He hopes this change will aid in full class participation.