Before my senior year of high school, I had no idea what to study in college. However, after taking a political science class that year, I decided to pursue it as my major.
Many of my classmates were already passionate about their political beliefs, and my teacher went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable in class. Despite growing up in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, a notoriously Republican town, my teacher remained as unbiased as possible.
Less than a year later, I was stuck with one of the worst professors I’ve ever had in my life, and it taught me that expressing my opinions in class is essential to learning. Punishing students for disagreeing with personal values is not educating.
Although my freshman year was remote, I took an introductory political science course which was primarily focused on how American politics were shaped throughout history. This class gave me a sense of what university lectures are like.
Because I was a freshman, I wasn’t aware of the reputation this professor had.
The only required textbook for this course was The Federalist Papers. We read and re-read the book, with my professor weaving his own opinions throughout his lectures as if he wrote it himself. Requiring a single book exclusively focusing on one aspect of history concerned with upper-class white men should have been my first sign to drop the class.
I was also taking the class at the worst possible time, during the 2020 presidential election season, as almost everything discussed in the class was related to the election
My professor openly endorsed former President Donald Trump, bluntly discussing his policies and describing him as a “wonderful leader.” He encouraged students to consider voting for him.
His singular focus on his own political views upset many students, including myself, because it kept us from learning about political science itself. If any of us tried to speak or disagree with him, he would interject to talk about what he valued or believed.
When grading our assignments, my professor left comments on everything, but it was clear the only errors were our opinions. Exams were never graded on the accuracy or quality of response, but how closely it aligned with his views – when my answers leaned liberal, they were marked wrong.
For the next exam, I only gave answers that aligned with my professor’s political beliefs like the harms of universal healthcare, and stricter voting restrictions and regulations. I never spoke up in class because I was too anxious but it felt aggravating to go against my own morals and opinions. Eventually, I noticed a significant improvement in my grade.
I reminded myself to stay calm. I didn’t want or need his validation, but I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs.
Although I was happy that my grade improved, I was still frustrated with what I had sacrificed to achieve it. I felt like a fraud, and I didn’t want to be in a major that didn’t align with my values.
As someone who tried to participate in class discussions and stand by my beliefs, I felt defeated. I wanted to learn and contribute, but felt like my voice and opinions were suppressed in the classroom.
I realized I’d rather sit in silence listening to my professor talk than contribute to class discussions. I felt uncomfortable in class speaking against topics I had protested and fought for, like gun violence prevention and women’s rights to abortion and contraceptives.
By the end of the semester, I lost my passion for political science because this class made me miserable. I didn’t enjoy learning about politics, which consumed my life and interests throughout high school.
I hated talking about current events or my values because I was scared other people would be as close-minded as my professor was. I didn’t want to feel embarrassed anymore or need to sacrifice my ideology for any class or job, so I decided I was done with political science.
Instead, I wanted to study something less ideology-dependent and opinion-based, leading me to economics. I had already taken an economics class by the time I was completing my transfer application for Temple, and I decided I wanted to give it a try.
I didn’t think changing my major would be so relieving, but I wasn’t anxious about attending classes anymore, and none of my professors argued with me or my peers.
Since changing my major, I have found myself missing political science classes. A big aspect of being an economics major is math and statistics, something I’ve had to become accustomed to. I loved the amount of writing and talking that political science required. I’ve thought about taking on political science as a minor, or international business, but I haven’t decided yet.
As much as I miss it, I enjoy having economics being my main focus. I feel happy and productive in my major now.
As a student, establishing mutual respect and learning as unbiased as possible is what makes a great class. Making the classroom as unbiased as possible will allow students – like me – to feel more comfortable opening up and participating in class.
Be the first to comment