Szymon K.
2/5
I am pursuing an associate's degree. I'm halfway done with my degree. I wanted to wait until I complete it, but I feel compelled to write a review now.
Oakton's orientation was confusing, but after a few phone calls, I knew what to do. It was frustrating as my academic advisor had no clue on what exact classes I should take, even though he's there to make sure I check off the checkboxes. I had to reach out to the department head to verify which classes I should take (which is unique, because I don't think I had to meet any department head to talk about my requirements for my previous degrees). It seems like there is a redundant administration / red tape structure. Furthermore, there are three different types of computer science programs, so it's super confusing to figure out which classes I should be taking and what could be counted for what. It would be so much easier to reduce that into one overall computer science program with many tracks, instead of diluting it down more.
I worked fully remote, so I was interested in picking up a part-time job on campus. I had an interview at the library. The supervisor was super lovely, but the interview itself was too way long. I have sat in shorter interviews for full time positions/internships. It was two hours of soft skill, math, and sorting questions. I understand that you want the best student workers, but this is a community college for young and older students who want to start off their careers. Why have a high bar and alienate those who need experience in the first place?
The quality of professors range from exceptional to questionable. I had one professor who maintained his enthusiasm throughout a semester. His course wasn't difficult, but he was approachable and really cared for his students to be successful. I had a video call with him as an icebreaker and we chatted away for a hour. He asked for my insights for one of his developing courses (and hopefully it's going well!). I wasn't planning to take his course, so it was nice of him to ask for my opinion. I appreciate the effort that instructors put into their courses.
On the other hand, I had a professor who struggled in the same semester. They claimed that they were uninformed that it's supposed to be an asynchronous course, so they needed time to adjust. I found it odd that they weren't aware how the course was going to be delivered? Give it a week and we are back on track. That didn't happen! Half a semester later and countless emails from students, the professor finally gave us assignments to do, but those assignments were supposed to be based on previous assignments we were supposed to do in the first 8 weeks. After a few emails, the assignments change and we are finally learning. The professor "disappears" again until end of the semester to inform us to turn in late/missing assignments. We weren't informed what assignments were missing. It wasn't until AFTER the semester that I found out about my final grade, which was much lower than I expected. After another round of emails, I was able to get that sorted out. A lot of us from the course were disgruntled with her, but she dissuaded us from collectively taking action and that we should talk to her one-on-one. The attempt to evade accountability left me a sour note.
The overall lack of communication, preparation, and accountability made this course super frustrating.
The intention is there as most of the people I met here so far mean well. I think there is a bloated/outdated administration and a small group of instructors that are here for the paycheck. There is a bigger obsession of changing Oakton's brand as they change their name this year. Solely changing your name isn't going to change your reputation if you don't change the people within. This is a college serving people from Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Niles, Glenview, and more communities. You are here to serve the community, not to compete with other colleges/universities, to boost your own egos, or to make the quick buck.
I wish to come back to this after graduation and write a positive review.
