Never Enough Work

Graphic by Téa Sklar

Imagine the ideal spring break: the sun is shining, you’re hanging out with friends on the beach, the drinks are flowing and you’re feeling completely relaxed. All of a sudden, you get an alert from Blackboard. That assignment that you’ve been putting off is due tomorrow. Instead of going out with your friends and enjoying the insane amounts of money that you spent on your vacation, you have to spend the night alone in your hotel room working on an assignment that has absolutely no business being due on the Wednesday of spring break.

Why is this? Why are professors assigning so much homework that it’s due over spring break? And most importantly, why do professors feel that they have the right to all of our free time? 

The answer’s simple: the evolution of the internet. In our parents’ day, the internet didn’t exist, so assignments had to be handed in in person. Once the internet became widely used, professors everywhere began using it for their assignments, making them due on the weekend and giving less time to complete them because research was made easier. Then, A.I. entered the scene. With both students and professors relying on A.I. more than they rely on the weather app, it’s become expected that students use it to complete their assignments. So, when a student refuses to use A.I. because of their “morals” or because they “care about the environment”, it becomes nearly impossible for them to finish all of their assignments on time. 

Unfortunately, I’ve experienced this a lot in the STEM field. While humanities professors are begging their students to not use A.I., the majority of STEM professors are encouraging it and almost requiring it in some classes. Personally, I’m over it. I’ve seen the STEM field lose credibility in real time throughout my time in college, and it’s disheartening. Nobody in my department is really learning what they’re supposed to be learning, and how could you? When professors pile on so many assignments that you’re struggling to even find time to write an email, how can you really take the time to digest the information that they’re trying to teach?

I know it seems stressful and like the world’s going to end, but just don’t focus on that for a second (hard ask, I know). In my three years of college, I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to skip a class or two and relax. But how can I relax when the world is crumbling around me? You’re reading it. I relax by ranting about everything that’s been going on around me for the wonderful Jerk Magazine. That’s my creative outlet. And I’ve found that it’s really important for college students, especially STEM students, to find a creative outlet that they connect with.

I’ve even had to force myself to sit down for just two hours a week by joining a club specifically for being creative. That way, I’m sure to destress and have fun before I spend my entire week stressing about which professor’s going to assign the class a bullshit A.I. assignment. The point is, making time for a creative outlet in your life will make all of the seemingly pointless assignments and long nights seem worth it. All you have to do is take some time, relax and rant your little heart out.