Lifestyle 2
October 18, 2025
Critical criminologists
October 19, 2025
Study or Not to Study?
Study or Not?
One thing is you want to study to progress your learnings and when you finally make up your mind there it comes the application which is OK to fill but how to find what you really want to study. You have some ideas in your head and the universities make it even harder. To find the degree you want you have to go through hell and back. At the end you must compromise. Do you know half of the students the first year choose the wrong modules until they realise was too late and they spent a year for nothing
Some opinions from others
1. firstly, i envy you so much. i had a harsh learning disability growing up and had to do 30+ hours a week on readings, writing, so please count your blessings. also i ask, are you in university or high school? because high school learning and college learning are two completely different languages. i switched from high school to college and i kid you not i was struggling so hard because in my high school, it was to the point in lectures and that was that. but when i moved to college, i had to do a lot of extra things to improve my focus in class and had to revamp my entire study set to be personalized to me.
2. I’m a good student. I get all A’s (varies from class to class) and understand class content and its applications and connections, however, I don’t have to put any noticeable effort into school to get these results. I almost never study but easily get A’s on tests and quizzes and find that even ‘difficult’ subjects like math and science are simply intuitive and easily understandable. I only ever study for big tests like midterms and finals and my peers see me as a ‘smart kid’ of sorts. If you’ve been in a similar situation, have you found studying to have any meaningful impact? Do you think it would still be worth it to put even just half an hour to studying a day?
3. Being totally for real, I have never studied for anything smaller than an AP exam. THAT BEING SAID you have to know how. Because there will come a day when you don’t understand the material. If you have the discipline to sit down and study for an hour every day, you’re on track, I don’t do it, I just know I gave the discipline to do it.
For credibility I’m rank 8 in my class of 488 and gave a 4.03 GPA. I do wish I had challenged myself sooner, so my best advice is go all in right away, because I didn’t apply myself until 11th grade because my grades were always perfect, and I missed out on truly learning.
4. I’d say, yes. Studying is a skill. But it mostly comes in handy if you plan to pursue higher education. I was the same way all throughout highschool when I was in the same class every day and just regurgitating content. But in college, where I had an hour of class twice a week (usually less if they didn’t count attendence) studying was a skill I didn’t have. It took a while for me to get used to studying.
5. If you’re in high/secondary school no. College, absolutely. College is not just about grades. It’s about building a portfolio of knowledge to assist you in performing better in your field. It can also help you to form professional relationships, as you can more adequately discuss contemporary issues affecting your field, and show your colleagues and potential employers that you are more than just a high GPA
6. I was just like that in high school and it didn’t take me much to get into the best college in my country. now I’m studying physics as a major since this was definitely my passion my whole life, and although it’s the thing that I love, I’m struggling as hell in college. studying is a skill that you need to build from baby steps to fully grown focus. I never needed it in high school so I didn’t think I’d need it for college as well but it is soooo different. starting that focus skill on a level that already challenges you is hard and might cause some fall of confidence and grades, that’s my case. it gets better after a while but starting strong builds so much confidence. start with some AP tests for instance, if that’s not challenging enough go for a undergrad book about the major you’d like to choose. it’s gonna make a difference when you’re being academically challenged. good luck out there!
College students should study more
Among last year’s cavalcade of Big Ideas movies, Alexander Payne’s quiet period dramedy “The Holdovers” was, I think, considered somewhat slight, despite being well-regarded. But although it lacked any literal nuclear explosions or dramatic political speeches, the film wrestled with one of the major social themes of our times: a kind of structural transformation in the value proposition of elite education that I think about whenever I see a new campus controversy.
This is not so much the plot of the movie (no spoilers here) as the backdrop to it. Paul Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a teacher at the fictional Barton Academy in the 1970s. Barton is an elite boys’ boarding school, but even though the students are mostly very rich, the accommodations are not particularly nice.
Part of the ethic of this kind of school is that students live under rather spartan conditions, away from the comforts of their parents’ posh lifestyles. And Dunham, who teaches ancient history, is a particularly strict old-school teacher. He maintains high standards for discipline and for learning. He assigns a lot of reading, expects his students to do it, and gives them bad grades if they don’t.
He expects students who receive bad grades to suffer consequences. In his understanding of himself and his job, this is the role of an elite educational institution: Wealthy parents hire Barton to put their kids through the paces, because they think that this will be good for the students in the longer term. The school is providing a service, and part of the service they are providing is harshness.
According to Hunham, at least, those are the values Barton was founded on, and the values the prior headmaster who hired him believed in.
But Dunham is at odds with the new headmaster, who believes his job is to keep wealthy and well-connected parents happy, which means doing what they want and not flunking their precious darlings. The new headmaster’s approach, while not admirable, does seem to be an analytically correct assessment of the market — Barton is a private school that needs donors and paying customers.
There may have been a time when the donors and the customers wanted what Hunham is offering, but they don’t anymore. And in the movie, this is connected thematically to a decline in the character of the American elite. One scene set in the Barton chapel pans across the memorials to Barton graduates who died in various wars of American history, including many alumni who perished in the world wars.
But only one Barton student died in Vietnam, a Black kid who attended the school on scholarship because his mom ran the cafeteria. A kid, we learn, who wanted to go to college but didn’t have the money, so he enlisted.
This is not what the movie is “about.” But it’s the setting, the swirling cross-pressures facing elite educational institutions 50 years ago.
And I think a key to understanding contemporary education discourse is understanding how those pressures were resolved in Favor of ever-more-competitive admissions, but much lower standards for conduct and academic performance.
Shakespeare in the Park
I am sure that you’ve heard from my fellow bloggers about how wonderful their time watching Shakespeare in the Park, which includes one of our great Blair students in their talented cast. It was the last weekend of Shakespeare in the Park, and I REALLY wanted to go.
But, with my big biology exam coming up the next week, and two more exams, two quizzes and a large project, it wasn’t an option. So, this weekend, I dated my biology book. Many of you, I am sure, can relate to this sentiment.
I have always been told that the college triangle equation describes the average college student’s life. It is the law of the land, it will govern how you divide your time and ultimately, everything you do.
You try and accomplish everything; you’ll get worn out and ultimately fail in one of the categories. Choose study and sleep, be confined to the daily routine of a hermit. But my dear friends (yes…dear, because this advice is from the heart), this is NOT true. Okay, fine it is somewhat true…but who says you can have a little bit of everything?
Yes, sometimes you must make a little bit of sacrifice. But you’ll always can squish something fun in between the crazy. Sure, I had to give up the Shakespeare, but I am looking forward to watching Clybourne Park at TPAC (Tennessee Performing Arts Centre) this weekend.
Sure, college is stressful, but you’ve got to let your hair loose occasionally, give your-self something fun to do, and taste a bit of the wild side (well, if you consider going to plays very wild). It’s a full package deal, not a choose two out of three gift option.
But that’s part of the fun of it! Oh, I forgot to mention, my lovely dear roommate, Cassie, who also is a Inside Dores blogger, brought me back a magical bag of mocha-caramel flavoured popcorn from Shakespeare, so in my defence,
I did get to ‘taste’ the wild side—which, if you are wondering, kind of tasted like a mix between drinking a holiday special at Starbucks (this is one of my favourite things about America, yet) and eating cotton candy–WILD if you ask me.
When I’m not contemplating why organic chemistry was invented, I spend most of my time in my research lab. I’m currently studying selective ion transport mechanisms in human cells.
The rest of my time goes to the trap shooting team, the Community Outreach Committee for MEDLIFE, and being a team leader for Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science. Outside of those commitments, I enjoy working out and exploring all the outdoors Tennessee has to offer.
Confessions
I’m Jeevan, class of 2024. I’m from the Bay Area, California, and I’ve pretty much stayed there all my life. I’m a freshman currently planning to major in either Chemistry or Chemical Engineering as well as a prospective minor in Spanish.
Within Vanderbilt, I’m involved in ‘Dore for a Day, Chess Club, Run Club, Club Basketball, and Vanderbilt Student Volunteers for Science. In my free time, I like to run around Centennial Park, visit the Pedestrian bridge and watch the Nashville skyline, and listen to Khalid.
As a freshman, I’ve only experienced Vanderbilt’s community during the pandemic. I can say without hesitation that it has been one of the most warm and welcoming places I’ve ever experienced. Please reach out to me at jeevan.s.rajkumar@vanderbilt.edu with any questions about college applications or student life here at Vandy.
Hi pals! My name is Marika Couchenour, and I am a senior in the College of Arts & Sciences here at Vandy. I am about to finish my major in Communication Studies, and I have a minor in history.
I am from the small town of Vincennes in southwest Indiana. I am crazy about my hometown and love to talk about Indiana!! At Vanderbilt I am involved in Naval ROTC (Marine Corps Option), BCM @ Vanderbilt Place, and Sigma Phi Lambda (the Christian sorority). My dreams are to be a United States Marine, a wife and mother, a rockstar, and then the mayor of my hometown. I love Jesus, reading, singing, rollerblading, beekeeping, kayaking, agriculture, and a bunch of other things so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or just to say hi!
My name is Neelansh Bute, and I hail from St. Louis, Missouri, though I spent the first eight years of my life in Hyderabad, India. In these next four years at Vanderbilt, I hope to explore Nashville, both as a city and as a lifestyle, and as I do so, I’ll be sure to share my stories with y’all! I’m currently a junior in the College of Arts and Science. While on the pre-med track, I am double majoring in Neuroscience and Medicine, Health, and Society, as well as minoring in Computer Science. On campus, I’m involved as Co-President of Inside ‘Dores, the Chair of Operations for the College of Arts and Science Council, an Editor for Vanderbilt Lives, and Digital Director for the Vanderbilt Hustler. Don’t hesitate to contact me at neelansh.bute@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions at all (whether it be about Vandy, college applications, life), or just simply want to say hello!
I am a Vanderbilt alumna originally from the Chicago suburbs. I graduated in 2022 with a B.S. in Secondary Education and English and a minor in History. I’m so grateful for the priceless learning opportunities and lifelong friendships that I gained during my time at Vanderbilt.
Since graduation, I’ve been working as a high school English teacher at an independent school in Indiana. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have about my degree program and how I’m applying my studies post-graduation.
Aside from being an Inside ‘Dores’s blogger, I was involved for multiple years in various programming councils for Residential Colleges, ‘Dore for a Day, and off-campus childcare work. I
also dabbled as a Susceptor and a Peabody peer mentor. I made many wonderful memories through these extracurricular involvements, from taking part in animated conversations at a faculty dinner to mentoring prospective Vanderbilt applicants into fellow student leaders.
Students don’t study that much
One major upshot of this transformation is that contemporary college students just don’t spend that much time on coursework. Unfortunately, a lot of attention was paid to this question during the depths of the Great Recession when young people were facing severe economic problems that sort of muddied the waters.
When the NYT did a “room for debate” forum about reduced study effort, for example, Anya Kamenetz’s response focused on students who need to work on the side for money. But even if you look exclusively at full-time college students, we’re talking about less than three hours per day on in-class and out-of-class education.
This lack of attention to academics makes a difference. In 2011, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa published “Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses,” which made a huge splash at the time but is now rarely discussed.
They used data from a test called the Collegiate Learning Assessment and showed that while some students learn a lot in college and have notably improved academic skills, a very large minority do not. They note that the actual amount of learning varies substantially by college major.
The way they bucket this, science/math majors learn the most followed by humanities/social science majors, followed by engineering majors. But then health, communications, education/social work, and business students learn basically nothing.
Again, this came out in the context of the Great Recession, so a lot of the dialogue around it consisted of progressives arguing that this stuff was a distraction from the problem of youth unemployment.
I was inclined to agree at the time, and I think Arum and Rokas blundered with a 2014 follow up book that specifically pegged the economic struggles of then-young millennials on shortcomings in their college education rather than macroeconomic circumstances. Over the past decade, as macroeconomic conditions have improved, millennials have caught up.
Which is just to say that Arum and Rokas’s critics were right — this doesn’t explain very much about big picture economic outcomes. Given the role of higher education in American society, the portrait they paint of schools where many students don’t learn anything is still important. T
hey show that lack of learning is associated with lack of time spent on schoolwork, and Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks have shown that over the decades, students have been spending less and less time on studying — “full-time students allocated 40 hours per week toward class and studying in 1961, whereas by 2003 they were investing about 27 hours per week.”
There’s a lot one could try to say about why that is. But one major reason to hit the books is to get good grades, and over time, it’s become easier to get good grades, which means there’s less reason to be studious.
