How not to remember the smell of the leather school bus seats packed to the brim with children? A teacher trying to command attention over the ruckus? And the adrenaline of the adventure ahead? The field trip is one of the top canon events for the average American schoolchild. But, in college the closest you get to that excitement is running half-way across campus to your next class.
Even in college, field trips can be great opportunities for growth in both the personal and academic sense.
Learning
Much like they did in your primary school years, field trips are a great opportunity for students to connect with the material they are being taught. There’s a whole world out there (even if it’s the Capitol for politic science majors). Pushing students to engage with material outside of the classroom promotes curiosity and fosters genuine engagement. It can also be a quick way to get some experience in the field without the responsibility of an internship.
Connection
Sometimes it’s hard to feel connected to the content of big lectures as your professor drones on and on, clicking through slides they never upload to Canvas. Amongst 100 plus students, its easy to lose track of the lecture and yourself. Oh, and connecting with your classmates? Maybe, but it can be hard when everyone is just itching to get out.
Yes, they do force you to interact with people. Maybe the most important connection of all is to yourself! It’s like connecting with your inner child, doing something fun, getting out of the classroom and off the steady rhythm of campus. A field trip complete with sandwiches and boxed orange juice is all you need to reconnect with that inner child and tap into your long-lost childlike curiosity. It’s drab out. College students deserve a break too.
Thinking back to the excitement that field trips brought you as a child makes you think: why did we ever stop? Now as sleep-deprived college students, even a trip to the dining hall is a trek, but that’s hardly as adventurous as finding an excuse to get the heck out.
Do you think college students deserve field trips? Let us know @VALLEYmag on X!
