Kelly G. (kelmagoo) reviewed My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Not what I expected but this was pretty interesting. It almost made me want to go back to college to do some things differently.
Helpful Score: 1
Only a professor could take an idea this cool and turn it into a book this boring.
Michelle C. reviewed My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student on + 18 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
It was a brilliant idea, a professor becoming a student to figure out why no one does the required reading or stays after class to talk to the prof. But due to ethical provisions, we never get to hear much of the student's stories. Instead, we hear a professor talk about how hard it is to be a student these days. As an anthropology student myself, I can tell you it can be even harder, taking classes full time, working, dealing with family. The book was based on a good idea, but she doesn't pull it off. Her writing is flaccid at times, and at other times she talks about things completely off base from her original study (international students and how they feel about their American classmates?).
Traci B. (tlbrown206) reviewed My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student on + 82 more book reviews
As a read for my cultural anthropological class, I found this to be really insightful and easy to read. Most textbooks can be dry but this keeps you interested. Rebeka Nathan's account gives real insight into campus life and could be an eye opener for professors, administrators and parents alike. One major problem that anthropologists face when venturing into ethnography is ethical issues. Nathan is no different, she struggles throughout the book to maintain her ethinic duties and keeps names, places and telling details out of the context in order to protect those studied.
Will most likely read again as I get futher into my ph.d studies in anthropology.
Will most likely read again as I get futher into my ph.d studies in anthropology.
