Colette Potter ‘26
Chief Features Editor
As I reflect on my four years at Holy Cross, I actually wish I could have taken more classes. Some of the coursework that has challenged me the most has been outside of my majors. I view this as the true asset of the liberal arts education – this expansion of the mind, forcing us to develop more fully flushed out opinions and the skills to articulate them. I double majored and studied abroad for the year and while I do not regret these decisions, I wish I could have taken more of these courses that pushed me, or had the opportunity to take classes without worrying about their effect on my GPA. Where Holy Cross could, in my opinion, grow as a liberal arts institution is with the development of a January term similar to other New England liberal arts colleges.
This term would allow students to take a class that they were interested in without the full commitment of a full semester. It would allow students to explore new ideas. I have often been interested in a class or subject, but was not able to fit it in as one of my four classes for that semester. Furthermore, the idea of studying something for only a few weeks makes it inherently more approachable. I would be much more willing to try something out of my comfort zone if it was a limited duration. It allows students to be exposed to new topics in a more approachable way. For a liberal arts institution, these experiences are at the core of the learning model.
For professors, I’d imagine there also might be some interest in the January term model. I think the ideal structure would be around 3 weeks, and perhaps some classes could be done as half credits. This would also allow professors to teach their own special interest classes in a shorter time frame. A research topic may not have enough material to fill a whole class for a whole semester, as students may be worried about their course schedule, but this shorter term would allow for professors to experiment or teach niche subjects they are passionate about. I’ve most enjoyed classes where I can tell the professor is truly interested in the subject matter they are teaching, and I think the structure of this term would be beneficial to both faculty and students.
While I don’t have specific suggestions for the implementation of this proposed term, it might also be an opportunity for students to engage in a research project, field work, or an extended service project. Students are busy at Holy Cross, often stretched thin and fielding a dozen different activities and classes. This designated time would give students time to focus on learning one new topic of interest–not four–and provide the space for more in-depth, focused projects, which may be especially ideal for exposing underclassmen to the research experience, or providing time for making a real impact through a volunteer or CBL style project.
In an oftentimes demanding academic environment, students can lose sight of the enthusiasm for learning. Burnout and academic exhaustion are certainly not uncommon. Allowing students a term to experiment academically through a shortened term, or dedicate themselves to a research or volunteer project, would only add to the Jesuit, liberal arts experience of Holy Cross – and perhaps be a good reminder of why we chose it in the first place.
Featured image courtesy of Super Busy Mum
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