1. This essay appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, a weekly publication for college and university professors and administrators. How do you think this audience influenced Baker’s analysis of types of students? What about his tone and language seems appropriate for this type of audience?
Baker has obviously been in college and observed the different types of students which were in his courses. He probably came to the conclusion of the different types of students by being observant. His tone and language seemed appropriate for this audience because he is speaking to college level students as well as professors and administrators. His language is simply using different words to explain the different types of students who attend college.
2. Baker deliberately creates, rather than avoids, stereotypes to establish exaggerated representatives of types…do you think his classifications are fair? Do they accurately reflect the whole spectrum of students? Why or why not?
Some of his classifications are fair but a number of them are mainly negative. He leaves out the student who ends up with a degree and becomes successful. They don’t reflect the whole spectrum of students because it is very difficult to find two students exactly alike. Some of them could be jocks and never achieve a degree, and some of them could be jocks and could go on to become very successful in their lives.
3. This article was published in 1982: How well have Baker’s classifications held up to present conditions? Do these groups still exist? How closely do they mirror the student population at USI or other colleges (or high schools) you’ve attended? Explain your answer.
Some of the classifications have held to the present conditions and most of the categories still exist. These classifications, however, leave out the majority of the students who graduate, achieve degrees and go on to fulfill their lives. There are many different types of students so it is difficult to compare. There will always be jocks, slackers, good time charlies, and all of the other classifications in every school you could visit. The trick is that the student categories are not limited to the ones listed and are becoming broader as the time goes by.
4. Which category (or combination of categories) do you fit? Explain your answer.
I would like to think I am the determined student. I am very determined to work as hard as I can, achieve a degree, and start working as soon as possible.
5. Based on your experience, how would you define the relationship between students and faculty? What stereotypes does each group (fairly? unfairly?) hold about the other?
The relationship between students and faculty are wide in variety. There are students who go out of their way to become friends with their professors and then there are other students who go out of their way to suffer in silence and never befriend faculty members. I would like to think that the faculty has faith in most of their students until given a reason to give up on them. I think professors sometimes have their minds made up on what kinds of students they are dealing with which isn’t fair because they could be completely wrong. Also I think some students can decide within the first few weeks of classes whether they will have to try in the class or if they will blow it off based on the energy provided by the professor which also isn’t fair.
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