Extra credit is an elusive promise; an elaborate bribe to bolster attendance at unpopular events or a poor score.

While I would not argue that this practice is devoid of merit, does it generate interest, or encourage passive participation? I would posit that augmenting attendance by enticing students with bogus bonuses is detrimental to students, professors, and speakers.

Professors, students are not pawns for your departments. Although we may be a captive audience in your courses, through our common core or our genuine interest in the material, it is unlikely that every facet of a course is enthralling to all students.

Classes do not have to be interesting, but, they ought to be – at the very least – informative. I have found that the most worthwhile classes that I have had here at Saint Anselm have been both educational and enthralling.

I have also found that a majority of the academic events held on campus, especially those designed to entice students with extra credit, could not be described by either of the aforementioned adjectives. It would seem that certain professors are more interested in drawing quantitatively superior groups of students than qualitatively superior ones.

Amassing a major contingent of your class at an event that a majority of them ignore should not be a feather in your cap. Unless the material discussed at the event has a direct correlation with the course work and will aid students in their understanding of a topic, the possibility of extra credit should not be applied.

Also, as intelligent as many Anselmians are, the events ought to be accessible to those in attendance without Masters or PhDs.

Students, if you go to events for extra credit, I cannot begrudge you those points that you accrue through your attendance – I only ask that you are an active audience.

I have, regrettably, been known to doodle through lectures in the past, which is not only rude on my part, but when I leave the event, I find that I have not gained anything from the experience. You ought to use the little free time that you have in a fulfilling manner.

Even if you fear that the material goes far beyond your comprehension, jot down anything from the lecture that interests you to research or discuss with your classmates or professors later.

An education is a terrible thing to waste. Focus on being actively involved in your campus community in all capacities possible, as you are bound to have a vastly more enlightening college experience.

Speakers, seek to make your material more accessible, especially when they discuss complex disciplines. Actively engage your audience – do not merely read from an ancient report destined for an educational paper, not a podium.

Academia, thankfully, is no longer a bastion for the elites – an education is valuable for people from all walks of life. Encourage students and professors to engage in meaningful conversation about your findings, facilitate.

Do not divorce yourself from the learning process – your thesis may not be the end all, be all. Even if students attended the event merely to earn extra credit, it does not mean that they must leave with only 5 points added to their next quiz – assist students in expanding upon ideas that they are familiar with.

Although extra credit events may be a failure in many respects in their current form, there are numerous ways to change this.

Learning should be loved, not lamented. Discussions and lectures ought to augment the educational process, not hinder or aggravate it.

It is only through a conscious, tri-fold effort involving students, faculty, and speakers, that such events may flourish on our campus.