The Student Perspective: Panel 1
This episode is the first of two panels with Temple undergraduate students where they share their expectations and experiences with college.
Show Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ANDREW COLETTI: Hello and welcome to this episode of The T
in Teaching.
This episode is a part of a series
of podcasts focused on the student's
perspective in education.
It is no secret that higher education is undergoing
drastic changes, so we feel it makes sense
to hear from the students actually
paying for and experiencing it.
This episode will be the first of two panels of Temple students
sharing their experiences and thoughts on college.
Then, professors from Temple will
respond to the students in a separate episode and offer
advice and support from both students and faculty alike.
Thank you for listening, and please enjoy.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Hello and welcome back to this episode of The T in Teaching.
In this episode, I interview three students from Temple
and discuss their expectations and experience in college.
With me, I have--
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Hi.
I'm Jaimin.
I'm a sophomore undeclared major in Fox,
considering majors in risk management or accounting.
ESTHER KIM: Hi.
I'm Esther.
I'm a senior legal studies major in Fox.
NOSA IYAMU: Hi.
I'm Nosa.
I'm a senior management information systems major.
ANDREW COLETTI: All right.
Great.
Thank you guys all for being here.
And I really want to just jump in,
talk about, when you came to college,
what were your expectations?
And how did Temple actually meet or change those expectations?
So what did you come in with?
And how have they changed?
NOSA IYAMU: Well, when I came in,
I think my perspective was different
because COVID has just hit, and it
changed the way college would be viewed.
At first, I was supposed to be in the J and H dorm halls.
But they had to move us because they designated
those to be the COVID dorms.
So I was at University Village.
And being at UV, it's apartment buildings.
So most of the people in the apartments
were much older than me, not freshmen.
So there weren't really that many people to meet.
When you go to college, you expect your freshman year
to be in a freshman dorm, meeting people walking by.
But that wasn't for me.
But I liked my experience.
We were there for three weeks, until we got booted out
because the cases were so high.
ANDREW COLETTI: So things were changing a lot, just
on the onset, just with COVID.
And Esther, you're obviously a senior as well.
What was that like for you?
ESTHER KIM: Nosa basically captured it.
But it was different in the sense
that I came into Temple expecting much
more of a social life, I guess.
That's what college is depicted as in movies.
And that's what people tell you about when they go to college.
A lot of that was shut down within,
what, the first few weeks.
So instead, I think maybe--
I don't want to speak on behalf of anyone else here.
But for me, I got to focus a lot more on developing
professionally because you're just stuck in your room
with a laptop.
And you can't really go to a party on your laptop,
but you can do an internship and things like that.
ANDREW COLETTI: What?
You're not throwing Zoom parties?
Come on.
I must be the only one.
OK, Jaimin, your turn.
You're a sophomore, obviously.
So it's a little different.
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Yeah.
I'm a sophomore.
So I definitely had more of a traditional college
experience going into it compared to you two.
But because of people a year older me or two years older
than me who did not have traditional college experiences
and then I would ask them about it,
I wouldn't really get a good explanation
to what college is like.
So I really had no idea what I was getting into.
So I want to say I overprepared in a way.
But I prepared for it to be super academically rigorous.
I didn't join any extracurriculars
until halfway through my second semester
because I just thought it was going to be really difficult.
I realized I could handle a couple clubs, too.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
Well, you guys brought it up, Esther, with your point,
talking about developing professionally.
These three students are extremely well-accredited.
You guys are in a dozen different clubs
between all of you.
We'll start with Nosa and Esther,
since you guys had your beginning of college truncated
by COVID.
You guys are in a bunch of different clubs.
What was your process getting into these clubs,
especially with that tumultuous social life
that you think about when you start college?
What was that like?
NOSA IYAMU: For me, since COVID hit,
I didn't attend Temple my entire freshman year.
And then sophomore year, I was really
looking to meet people just like me, like-minded people.
So I was walking around Temple Fest, and I saw FAABA.
Talked to the members that were tabling,
and I really liked what they had to say.
So I ended up joining that.
And then another club I'm part is AIS, which is for my major.
And I feel like that's a good club
to see what I can do with the MIS major
and meet different people in the major
that you see in my classes.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
Yeah.
Esther, was that similar for you?
ESTHER KIM: I got introduced to our SPOs through our classes,
actually.
So because all of our classes were on Zoom, a lot of our TAs
were students who were officers or maybe even
presidents of these SPOs.
And they were always encouraging us,
as freshmen taking these entry-level courses, to really
get involved.
And so I would do my research on these SPOs.
And maybe I actually shouldn't admit this.
But I remember because of all the meetings were on Zoom,
I would join multiple SPOs and then
have different meetings open at the same time.
Because, obviously, they all meet at the same time mostly.
And I wouldn't be listening to anything
because there was three different speakers going on.
But I did that.
And then eventually, I narrowed it
down to the one that was more closely related to my major
and that I felt like would benefit me the most, like Nosa
said, more close-minded people or like-minded people that I
could network with.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
Well, first of all, that's brilliant to be
joining multiple meetings, pick it all out.
That's gaming the system.
Credit to you.
That's great.
But it sounds like both of you got involved mostly
through your program.
Jaimin, it sounds like you're a little bit of a different story,
getting involved a little bit later,
but also having that different social life and everything
like that, that maybe they didn't
have when they started college.
And you're specifically part of Temple SMASH.
So why don't you tell me a little bit about that
and how you got involved in something
far outside of business or what we typically assume as business?
NOSA IYAMU: Yeah.
So Temple SMASH is a variety sketch show
that airs on TUTV twice per semester.
Kind of like Saturday Night Live,
I say, but we have no money.
ANDREW COLETTI: [LAUGHS]
NOSA IYAMU: So the way I got involved
was a friend of mine from high school
was involved first semester, and he told me about it.
And we had done theater together in high school.
So I decided to audition my second semester.
And I had a lot of fun in two episodes my second semester,
acting in those.
And then going into my sophomore year,
I decided to submit a writer's packet
because I just love comedy.
I love sketch comedy.
I love writing, too.
So just on a whim, I submitted one of those.
And I got in on the writer's team, which was really fun.
I'm the only non-arts major on the writer's team,
so it's definitely bringing an interesting perspective
sometimes.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
I'm sure that they value you in the writer's room,
coming from a very different background than everybody else.
And that's pretty awesome that you just submitted it,
and you get accepted in, and now you're a part of it.
And it sounds like all of you were
able to-- once you got in communication with whatever
group it was, it wasn't terribly hard to join the groups
or get involved.
Is that accurate to say?
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Yeah, I would say so.
I feel like the process for joining an SPO is pretty simple.
You just go to the intro meeting or any other meeting they have.
For SPOs, it's Mondays from 12:00 to 12:15.
ESTHER KIM: But if you go to one of them-- and if you're in Fox,
it's so easy because they don't schedule
any classes during those times.
ANDREW COLETTI: Great.
ESTHER KIM: Yeah, they're really pushing you to do that.
ANDREW COLETTI: Well, I'm glad that you brought up
the idea of classes not even being scheduled,
specifically for Fox.
Let's transition a little bit from the co-curricular side--
these groups that you guys are in.
Let's talk a little bit more curricular.
Let's talk about the classes that you took,
the professors that you had.
How did that shape your experience at Temple?
What worked?
What didn't work?
And maybe a memorable experience.
ESTHER KIM: I ended up taking all of my legal studies courses,
because that is my major, by the end of sophomore year.
So just because of the way the curriculum is for that program,
you don't really have prerequisites
to move up by your senior year.
So I was able to get my capstone out of the way
by my spring semester sophomore year.
And since then, I've just been taking a lot
of business courses, obviously.
And I have two minors, so I've been taking classes for those.
But yeah, there's definitely a difference
between every single class.
I think it's so hard to just round that up.
I think each professor is very different.
They each have very different teaching styles.
Every class is different.
I think some of my favorites have
been classes that are centered around group projects, which
might be a hot take.
But I really liked Professor Schirmer's class
for integrative business applications.
ANDREW COLETTI: He's going to love
that you said that, by the way.
ESTHER KIM: [LAUGHS] Because, I mean, it was a great class.
I think he really had-- he set expectations much higher
than a lot of my other professors had in the past,
which I really appreciated.
Maybe not in the moment.
But looking back, I definitely do.
And having one set group throughout an entire class
really gives you the opportunity to become friends
with people and to network with them on another level
rather than just sitting next to them, especially when they're
different majors because then you get all
these different perspectives.
ANDREW COLETTI: Sure.
Great.
Nosa, do you want to join in on that?
NOSA IYAMU: Yeah, for me, the way I'd schedule my schedule,
I'd usually have, like, three business classes.
Then I'd have, like, two other classes
outside the business school, which
can help balance my schedule.
And the classes that I enjoy the most
are my MIS classes, just the people in it.
From sophomore year to senior year,
it's all the same kids you're going
to have the classes with when you're in MIS.
So you really get to know the kids in the classes.
The professors are super helpful,
and they're always willing to help you
if you go to their office hours.
ANDREW COLETTI: So I just want to point something-- thank you
both for sharing.
And before I let Jaimin answer on his end,
I want to point something out.
So obviously, again, as you mentioned,
COVID smack dab in the center of when you guys start college.
But then as you take these classes that
are all over your program, you're
finding people that are in the same major,
and you're building that social life,
even though the most catastrophic thing that's
happened in years happened and prevented you from having that.
So you're still able to get that social life, right?
ESTHER KIM: Yeah.
NOSA IYAMU: Yeah.
ESTHER KIM: Definitely.
ANDREW COLETTI: Great.
Jaimin, how about you?
What are your classes like?
And what are your expectations and how
are they being met in those classes?
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Yeah.
So as of right now, I've only taken core classes, Fox core
classes, because I'm undeclared.
I don't know if I can speak to a particular course.
But I can say that you can definitely
tell when a professor is passionate and wants
to be there.
And those are the classes I've enjoyed the most.
Professors who show up who are very
helpful during office hours.
They want you to come in and ask questions.
Those are the professors that I've gotten along with the best
and done the best in.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
Well, obviously, anybody who's motivated to teach,
who's really energized and everything
like that, that's going to carry over to you.
So it's good to hear that.
And let's talk a little bit about where you guys want to go
career-wise after college.
Now Nosa, Esther, you guys are obviously seniors.
That's right on the horizon-- not
to make you more anxious than you already are.
But let's talk about how your time at Temple
has aligned with where you want to go.
I'm sure maybe it's changed a little bit
from when you were a freshman to where you are now.
How did you have your career path shaped at Temple?
Did it?
Did it change at all?
And then maybe, Nosa-- or excuse me, we
can talk to Jaimin a little bit because he's still undeclared.
Maybe you have some pieces of advice
on when you found your stride in college.
So if one of you guys wants to start with that.
NOSA IYAMU: Yeah.
For me, coming into Temple, I was a business major,
but I wasn't declared.
And I feel like the first class I
took was MIS 2101, which really put me on to the MIS major,
and I switched into it.
So I switched into MIS, didn't really know what I wanted to do.
And then one of the faculty advisors
I met with for FAABA, Janis Campbell,
was telling me about different opportunities for MIS majors.
And she mentioned the Big Four.
And I looked into it, and I really
liked what they did over there.
So I interned there for two summers,
and I'm going to be returning there doing tech risk
consulting.
ANDREW COLETTI: That's awesome.
That's great to hear.
Esther, how about you?
ESTHER KIM: I knew that I wanted to enter the legal field coming
into college, actually.
So I was very fortunate, I think,
because I didn't have that undeclared little bit of anxiety
in college.
But yeah, so I focused on legal studies
and just being on the pre-law track for most of college.
And I plan to take a gap year before going to law school.
But that's not something that I originally planned on doing.
And I think Temple really helped me narrow down my options.
Because you say you want to go to law school,
you say you want to become a lawyer,
but that could mean anything.
You could work in a corporation.
You could work for--
you could work in the entertainment industry.
Yeah, it could literally mean anything.
So I think through SPOs, through classes,
through professors, I've really been able to narrow down
what I like, what I don't like, and what
I want to do in the future.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
So even though you guys both seem
like you had a direction that you were leaning,
it sounds like, one way or the other, somewhere along the line,
you got some feedback, some adjustments, some testimony
from a professor.
And really, both of you guys seem
like you were able to take advantage of whatever they were
offering you, whatever feedback it was,
and it seems like it's really had a big impact
on you, which is great to hear.
Jaimin, obviously you're still on the other end.
You still haven't decided.
I'm not going to make you say, what--
answer the world.
What are you going to be?
But has anything happened to you at Temple?
Have you had any experience that's
helped you go one way or the other or narrow it down?
Or is Temple just a place that you
feel like you can be undecided and take these classes
and move forward?
What's that experience like?
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Yeah.
Well, I will say, my dad has worked
in tech risk consulting for 20 years at a public accounting
firm.
So that's kind of like--
I don't want to say that's where I thought
I was going to go when I entered college,
but it's the only field I had any good idea of what
it was going into college.
So accounting and MIS were the things.
And in Fox, you don't really need
to declare until the end of your second year.
Almost everyone I know has switched their major.
So I think Fox does a really great job
of giving you the time to figure out what you want to do.
And now that I'm getting close to that,
I've learned a lot about different subjects I had
no idea for it even existing.
And I'm pretty close to making a decision.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
No, you're right.
I had a bunch of friends-- when I was in undergrad.
And sophomore year for all the business students,
they all just change everything.
There's people who go from accounting to econ and MIS
to business administration.
So there's so much that changes.
And it seems like it's really built for you guys
to figure it out.
A lot of people just come in with business
and refine it based on interest.
So it's great to hear that there's some success coming
from all of that.
Let's end talking about your time at college
and what professors have done that's really
worked well for you personally.
Maybe it's your learning style.
Maybe it's the way that you go about class
and you need more expectations, like you mentioned, Esther.
But let's talk just a little bit about what professors do well
for you.
NOSA IYAMU: I would say when professors are engaged
with the class, really make it seem like they care,
especially--
I hate to sound biased, but especially with the MIS courses
I've taken, I feel like every professor I've had
so far was really engaged with the students,
cared about the topics they were teaching,
and made sure we were well-equipped
for any tests or quiz or any project we had to do.
And that is one of my peak interests,
so it's always easy for me to latch on and pay attention
in those classes.
ANDREW COLETTI: That's awesome.
NOSA IYAMU: And for general business classes, again,
when professors are engaged and like what they're
teaching and aren't just reading off
a slide show, that's when I feel like I can really
fall in love with the class.
ESTHER KIM: Yeah, for sure.
I totally agree.
The super lecture-heavy classes can get pretty exhausting
at a certain point.
And I feel like it's OK when there is a professor who
is teaching that type of course but is still passionate, still
cares, and still keeps it, I don't know, energetic.
But you can see it in the way they're
teaching as well that they don't like the way
that the classes may be going.
So yeah, it reflects on us.
I think it's the little things that really matter,
like knowing our names, right?
Just little things where they know who you are, maybe even
know what your major is.
It's the small things that I think
make me enjoy a professor and their class a lot more.
ANDREW COLETTI: Sure.
Sure.
That's totally understandable.
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: Yeah.
I mean, I'll say, I agree with all the things you said.
But one other thing that I just have really
appreciated about my professors this semester,
just being very straightforward.
I had two quizzes today, and everything on those quizzes
was things we'd talked about, the professor
had taken questions about, and we'd done multiple practice
problems on them.
So it was nice from when I've taken other classes
in the past here or even in high school where it's like, we never
spoke about this in class.
There was a homework problem about it,
but you never taught it to me.
And I just really appreciate a professor
who goes through everything that they're going to test on,
which is very nice that all my professors are doing that
this semester.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
That's great.
I mean, I think you guys all said different things,
but also, in the same way, kind of the same thing.
You want to be hands-on.
You want to be involved in the class.
And you don't want to be talked to.
You want to be taught.
You want to actually experience what you're learning.
And then you want to see it come back on what
you're being assessed on.
And I think that's totally reasonable.
It's totally fair.
Thank you guys all for sharing.
Let's end on one thing.
What would you say to students coming into Temple or to college
right now?
What would your piece of advice be?
And Jaimin, I know you're going to say, well, I'm undecided,
so I don't actually know.
No, you can.
You've obviously done enough.
So I want to hear from all of you.
What's one thing you would tell new, incoming students?
NOSA IYAMU: I would say be open-minded.
Coming in, you may not know what you want to do,
but there's always time.
By sophomore year, the end of spring semester-- by then,
you'll probably get a better understanding
of what you want to do.
And always join clubs.
That's where you'll meet some of your friends.
ANDREW COLETTI: Great.
ESTHER KIM: Yeah.
I hate to be a cliche, but I really will bounce off of that
and say to get involved.
I think it's one of those things that you
hear so many times that it just goes through one ear
and comes out the other.
And you're like, yeah, sure, I'll get involved.
Throughout your whole life, you're told that.
But especially in college, you have to get involved.
And getting involved is something
that takes a lot of energy and takes a lot of work.
And it's not just something where you can just show up.
You have to put in the effort.
And I think if you just remember to do that and take it
seriously, you can reap so many benefits,
I mean, professionally and personally as well.
ANDREW COLETTI: Great.
Jaimin?
JAIMIN KONDISETTY: I mean, you said exactly what
I was going to say.
I would say just, your first semester, just
try and join just one club--
just one club that you can commit to, one, two hours
a week.
And clubs are-- they really want members.
They want you to be there.
Everyone there will hopefully be very nice and want you to stay.
So just join one, and you'll make at least a couple friends.
And then you can expand and find new things as you go along.
ANDREW COLETTI: Yeah.
Well, yeah, sure.
Be open-minded and get involved are tropes,
but that's just because they're true
and because everyone who does it then becomes a believer of it
and then tells everybody else.
So while it's been said before, it's worth saying again.
I want to thank you guys all for being on this podcast.
Thanks for sharing your expectations and what
you guys have experienced in Temple.
And good luck with the rest of your classes.
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