Three week mark

Specialists in "retention" say that most college first year students who wind up drop out or withdraw decide to do so within three weeks, so first year faculty advisers are encouraged to check in with their charges in the third week. This is our third week and I did as I was told, and while a few students didn't make it to the meetings ( ... ), those who did suggested the graft has been successful. Indeed, since I framed the conversation as about "tell me about your other classes, and what they're adding up to," I wound up green with envy at all they are learning about... and in their first weeks of college! I'm not thinking of the three weeks of Hegel in an aesthetics lecture, since that's an upper level class not designed for first years (but my two who found their way into it love it - and one even knew Hegel from high school!), but of those taking seminars in cultural studies, writing about animals, Pascal, cli-fi, poetry, capitalism studies, the Frankfurt School, doubt, "the souls of Black women," digital journalism, the politics of revenge, Brechtian cinema (?!) and much more. We do offer something different than most places, which sedate their first years with huge introductory lecture courses. Imagine getting such rich fare the same time you're living on your own for the first time, in a city for the first time, making decisions for yourself for the first time...!