Sonia Stolar | Staff Writer
I’ve never been much of an academic, yet before coming to college I’ve had this perception of mahogany interiors and elongated bookshelves in classrooms, students hunched over notes from lectures and sleepless nights spent studying.
My imaginary world of future collegiate years was not the most realistic, nor an exhilarating one, but there was an idea that the place one must obtain an education in will carry the scent of old books.
FIU is different. It is surrounded by palm trees, in a city that barely sleeps, and is famous for the laid back attitude that towers over Miami. Still, the lack of cold that is meant to support the image of a college student struggling to meet deadlines in the dead of winter; or the inexistence of a college town, which only allows for a population of students and academics to surround you—does not take away from the charm this oasis beholds.
Don’t get me wrong, I am heavily inspired whenever I see people taking notes from textbooks at Green Library. I see you, I know that you exist.
This university is special. It gets you in touch with a world outside of the classroom, it curates an atmosphere of ‘work-life’ balance by inviting you into the paradise that hides itself in certain corners of Miami.
But with all its perks, how come it is growing to be a place that suffers from an absence of these very feelings, that you are actually in an academic environment?
I’ve been confided in many times, when it comes down to a conversation that FIU lacks seriousness. And such remarks appear to be proven right time after time.
As someone who doesn’t live on campus and is not highly involved in activities or organizations, I might be missing something. But I am highly involved in classes, and what I have observed is a bit disappointing: there is a lack of motivation to learn, expectations are low, and a number of students don’t even attempt to try.
What is a pattern worth mentioning is the reliance on AI, particularly the use of Chat GPT. Whilst it is a common trend amongst academic establishments perhaps all over the world, it does not substitute the fact that students are on a path of completely surrendering to it. Many complain about having to face the consequences of plagiarism and AI use, criticize professors who won’t allow it and depend on it for most of their schoolwork.
Emerging from slander of instructors who are anti-AI, there is a heightened amount of disrespect toward professors. Those who are demanding are ‘too tough’. Those who punish for what was clearly prohibited are rude. Those who have a foreign accent get laughed at.
It is fairly easy to complain about having an underwhelming performance in class due to the incompetencies of a professor, instead of looking inwards.
Besides class WhatsApp group chats being flooded with complaints over complaints, there is also this very important question that is often thrown around— “is attendance mandatory.”
There is a difference between sitting in a class full of individuals who are willing to learn and who look forward to pushing themselves toward their academic limits and beyond; and a group of people who spend money on education that they put no effort into obtaining.
FIU is a space built to help students strive academically, so why are some unmotivated to learn, and if that’s the case why be in college in the first place?
An environment that lacks a drive to succeed will fail at a chance to strive and inspire in a political climate where education is constantly under attack.
In 2025, multiple higher education establishments received threats from the Trump Administration to suffer from funding cuts if specific requests are not fulfilled. For Harvard it was the $2.2 billion frozen due to the university’s refusal to follow Trump’s demands, Columbia lost $400 million in funding over student demonstrations, and so on. In addition to that, Trump urged to shut down the Education Department, in an attempt to give control over it to the state. To top off the list there is also the war on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies, as well as international students visa revocations, and more.
As a public university heavily relying on state funds and grants, FIU remains in the choke hold of Republican education related agendas. Whilst those tend to focus on reducing learning opportunities, almost as a ploy for students to fall through the cracks of a failing system.
A number of students must focus on their rights on campus first, before allowing themselves to be more involved academically. Others are more appreciative of the idea of being entertained and partying, than learning. There is disbalance that is rooted in this generation’s inability to focus, or think deeper, or not constantly look for someone else to blame.
Right now, a prospering level of literacy is more crucial than ever. It is time to take education seriously, and if academia is not your forte—at least respect those who are willing to pursue it.
The importance of keeping education alive nowadays cannot be stressed enough. While possible solutions could be more direct and demanding requirements, increasing expectations, more interactive lectures that aim to involve students more in the subject they are pursuing. On the other hand, it could be the University Core Curriculum that often forces students to be present in classes that do not entertain their interest in the slightest.
There can be a compromise made and an issue seen with how some university policies or methods aid to the formation of this unserious environment.
Yet, to my fellow students, the first step to take is to ask yourself whether you want to learn, whether you want to help maintain FIU in the world of academia. And if yes, we can start with breathing in the scent of old books in the library and proceeding with opening ourselves up to learning.
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