You all remember that first day of freshman year. You walk into your not-so-spacious Tufts dorm room, and meet the person you will be sharing a room with for the next nine months. Your eye catches a letter taped to the door under the construction paper cut-out bearing your name, and which contains the information that will get you through these first hours of freedom... the time and location of your first meeting with your orientation group. Now fast forward six months, one or two years, and look at yourself. You are now (hopefully) a socially adjusted, capable, and stable member of the Tufts community and now you have a chance to affect those first hours of freedom for next year's incoming freshman class by teaching an Exploration.
Student applications to teach Explorations have plummeted this year. This news shocked and dismayed many of last year's Explorations leaders, including the author of this viewpoint. It has boggled the minds of many of those students and professors who have in some form or another participated in this program, whether as advisors, peer leaders, or students.
Whatever the reason for this drop, whether it be campus wide apathy, selective amnesia about Ex-college deadlines, or intense dislike for filling out applications, it needs to be remedied. Explorations is the most popular orientation option for incoming freshman, and for that reason alone there needs to be more interest by current students. It is also an incredibly rewarding experience for those students who decide to teach one.
All of us here at Tufts have some topic that we are interested in, passionate about, or just really like to talk about. To teach an Exploration, you take this interest to a whole new level. Really love playing video games? Teach a course on the history of video games (with a hands on component, of course). Spend every weekend in Boston? Teach a course on Boston, and introduce new freshmen to the city where they will be spending the next four years. Spend all your time singing along to show tunes? Teach a class on the music of Broadway shows. The great part about the program is that you will have about 12 freshmen who really want to learn about what you want to teach.
I'm not going to lie to you. Teaching an Exploration is a lot of work and a lot of responsibility. You can't just skip your own class because you had a rough weekend, or skim the readings and let someone else participate. There are definitely times when you feel under-appreciated and overworked. But at the end of every class you know that it was your hard work that made that class happen. College students are often doing work for other people but when you teach an Exploration you are in control, and you call the shots.
You also get to guide incoming freshmen through the insanity of their first semester at Tufts. Whether it is by attending joining them for the freshman-wide dinner and fireworks, or helping to navigate online registration, you are a source of Tufts information for your group. Although I now know much more than I ever thought I would about distribution requirements, it feels good to help people with what can be a very daunting process the first time. By getting to know your students outside the classroom before you start teaching, you really get an idea of what will and won't work for your group, and it makes getting up in front of the class a lot less intimidating when the time comes.
Teaching an Exploration isn't for everyone, but I urge you to give it a try. If you're the person who sits in class and makes fun of the professor, try being on the other side of the podium (ok, Explorations leaders don't generally stand in front of podiums, but I couldn't resist the analogy). If you are obsessed with something, obsess about it in front of a group of freshmen.
You can take any one of your interests and turn it into a great class. At the risk of sounding clich?©, I learned more than I have in any of my classes here by teaching an Exploration. Just think back to your first semester of freshman year, and think about a class that you would have loved to teach. Have you thought of one? Now grab an unsuspecting friend, clear your schedule, and start planning your syllabus.
Jessica Wells is a junior double majoring in American Studies and English.
