Students struggle with unwritten requirements

Sophomore Megan Schmidling had never set foot in a classroom before  college, and Senior Bjay Adio's precollege education took place on another continent, yet when they came to Truman, they were held to the same expectations.  

     This year, students from across the nation and around the world will enroll at Truman. With such a diverse group, it is impossible for each student to have the same background in education, college preparation or cultural references. In college there are uniform expectations to understand unwritten prerequisite material.  Professors and students agree that these unofficial requirements present opportunities and challenges in the classroom.

The unwritten prerequisites can appear in classrooms in the form of references made by instructors. Professor of English Adam Davis said he routinely alludes to basic American history, Shakespeare and the Bible although none will appear on a syllabus as suggested reading material for the class.

Adio is from Ibadan, Nigeria, and when he came to Truman, he found he wasn't prepared for the common American knowledge expected in college.

During his first semester at Truman, Adio took a United States history class where the discussion would drift into what many students considered common knowledge, but for Adio, it was new material.  

"Sometimes the professors would digress and everyone would start talking about common knowledge like this president did this and in this revolution  this happened and so I had to do extra work," Adio said. "I had no idea cause whenever we reference stuff [at home] we use stuff pertaining to Nigeria."

     Adio had to catch up in literature as well. Because Nigeria was colonized by England, most of the literature they read was classic British writing, so he never had read many American classics.

The expectation for students to know classical references isn't limited to English and history classes. Schmidling said her professors often expect students to know references to pieces of classical music and opera.  

Schmidling was concerned she wasn't prepared for Truman because she was home schooled, but she found her education was different but not inadequate.

"On the one hand, I think it is a little bit ridiculous and they expect a lot," Schmidling said. "But on the other hand I like it and it helped push me further."

For students worried if they are ready for professors' allusions, Davis advises them to quit worrying.

"Nobody's education prepares them for anything except to pursue further education," Davis said.

This common set of classic references is something professors would like students to have, but Davis said using pop culture references could help more students recognize the allusion.

Eventually, Davis said, pop culture references become classic references.  

"That is inevitably going to happen because the classic references of one age were all pop culture of a previous age," Davis said. "Herman Melville, Dickens and Shakespeare were all pop writers of their age."

The blend of pop and classic cultural references in the classroom illustrates there is no "curriculum for culture," Davis said.  

Senior Isaac Robinson said Truman has programs designed to help students transition from their different backgrounds in education and culture to meet Truman's expectations.  These resources include first year advisers, Truman Week and Strategies for Success courses.

Robinson said he understands these resources aren't completely effective at leveling the playing ground for all Truman students. He doesn't see this as a problem, but instead as an opportunity.  

"I think it provides an opportunity to adapt to other people who don't have our same backgrounds or our ability to learn in particular areas," Robinson said. "It's also about learning how to work with each other and learning from people who are different from you."