As another quarter begins, students will flock to the Bookstore to collect textbooks mandated by their professors. Some students may be lucky enough to have all of their readings posted on Coursework, where they can quickly (and without cost) download the material to read on their computer screens or in printed form. These readings may be about philosophy, English literature, economics or any number of subject areas, reflecting the varied interests of the student body. These readings have one thing in common across subject areas, however: they are likely too numerous.

An unwritten agreement often struck between professors and students goes like this: professors assign large amounts of text to be digested in rather short periods of time while students select lucky passages to actually read. This arrangement is detrimental to the learning process. Professors either expect too much of students, or else they must struggle with the task of disseminating information during lecture to students with differing levels of comprehension. Students often end up inferring which readings will be the most important to cover for class and risk investing all their time in a topic that is not very valuable to understanding the overarching “big picture” of the course.

This high quantity of reading raises the question of the relationship between units and course work. Units roughly define the amount of work required of students every week, and readings can demand hours of time beyond what is expected given how many units a class is worth. Students choose how many units they want to take in a quarter based on other commitments and a sense of what they can accomplish. When there is a divergence between unit enrollment and workload, students are unable to properly manage their schedules and reach their goals.

In order to assuage this unfortunate problem, assigned readings should focus on teaching students in an informative way without being too broad and overbearing. Readings that are long-winded but necessary should be summarized by the professor in written form. If a reading is interesting and related but fundamentally tangential to the aims of the course, it should be clearly demarcated as optional. Professors should not assume that all students read extremely quickly. This assumption indirectly evaluates students on the basis of their reading speed, a quality not necessarily as important as the ability to digest concepts and express them intelligently.

The University must provide the correct incentives for professors to begin adjusting their syllabi. Course evaluations must reflect the importance of assigned readings to the learning experience. A question about the relevance of assigned reading already exists on the official student evaluation form, but a new question asking whether the amount of reading assigned was appropriate should be included. Furthermore, in the comments section, students should be encouraged to comment on the usefulness of specific readings. These ratings should be used in earnest to assess the performance of professors.

When the expectations that professors have of students can actually be fulfilled, students can be more frank and engaged in their work. This renewed academic environment will no doubt improve students’ learning; the conversation between those who teach and those who learn will not be strained. The change will also allow students to better manage their time, opening up possibilities to contribute to student life, advance in the pursuit of a career or even just spend more time relaxing in the beautiful California sun.