Chatting For A Change: Credits

Credits. It really is a fitting name for the blocks of education we are required to graduate. Not only do most people pay for them using credit, but while credit cards are the nations’ preferred currency, academic credits are the currency of universities around the nation. They are the profits an academic career, the savings students accumulate to move out into the real world. They even get audited during their senior year, just to make sure they haven’t been fudging the numbers on their credit requirements. 

The first time a student meets with their academic advisor, they most likely made the student aware of the fact that 120 credits are needed to graduate, and suggested taking 15 credits a semester to graduate in 4 years. So, students declared their major and started chipping away at that magic number. After all, 120 credits is the one thing that every undergraduate student needs. It is the common denominator for the various departments and majors offered at PSU. But all credits are not created equal. Credits are not consistent across departments, or even within the same department, and this can lead to confusion and frustration.

Brian McGlynn is a senior Biology major with a minor in chemistry. Every semester, he experiences inconsistencies with the number of hours he must devote to his courses compared to the number of credits he earns. 

“When I take a three-credit course with a one-credit lab, I commit more time to the one-credit lab than I do to the three- credit course,” said McGlynn. “Currently, I am enrolled in three labs, that are all worth one credit. Yet, two of them meet for three hours a week, while one only meets for an hour a week. I am taking 12 credits, the minimum requirement for full time students, yet I spend 14 and a half hours in the classroom.” 

When you compare this to the typical 12 and a half hours of class time most students taking the recommended 15 credits endure, the time inconsistency becomes very clear. This inflated workload does not only cause time management difficulties, but it causes many scheduling issues as well. 

“Labs are typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays, while the lecture portion is held Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. This means that a course with a lab makes scheduling very difficult. For example, Biochemistry conflicts with three class blocks on Thursday, as well as the typical class blocks on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” said McGlynn. “Almost every biology student will need to go into course overload at some point to graduate in four years, costing them extra money due to no fault of their own.”  A Biology major can be enrolled in only four classes, yet already have 16 credits. Just two more credits would put them over the limit, costing them more money. So, they would be paying more money than other students taking five classes.  

“Labs and lectures are of equal importance, so eliminating or shortening labs is not a possibility,” said McGlynn. 

Why exactly is a lab of equal importance? It takes up more time than the lecture, but worth only one credit to the lecture’s three. “I would like to see my labs worth at least two credits,” said McGlynn. “The labs should be worth more credits, or I should have to take fewer credits. Maybe I should be required less electives, but something should be done to even out the time-to-credit ratio.” 

The cliché goes: life is not fair, and apparently neither is college, but it would seem to be common sense that one credit in biology should take up the same amount of class time as one credit in psychology or marketing. And three credits in biology should definitely take up more time than one credit in biology. For now, those participating in labs must simply put up with the long hours and scheduling difficulties. All students need 120 credits to graduate, but not all credits are created equally. 

All progress starts as just an idea. This column will be developing ideas throughout the semester for change. If there is a change anyone would like to see happen, send an email to sdmcglynn@plymouth.edu.