MONDAY, MAY 3, 1999

Who needs books?

Some students go through their entire college learning experience by the book.

Just what type of learning experience is this? It is called, "Everything I need to know, I learned in a book."

When going through a course with just the textbook to learn from, are students really learning anything at all?

To address this question, there has been a recent shift in curriculum, where textbooks are not the only learning tool. It is called the Service Learning Project, and it plays a major role in many upper-division classes.

Service learning projects give students the opportunity to get experience in a chosen field in conjunction with their classroom work. It's like killing two birds with one stone -fill the requirements for a class while volunteering your time.

When you are faced with an upper division class that requires a service learning component, think of the experience and knowledge you will gain.

After all, there is so much to learn from life that you cannot find in a textbook.

Ayreen Calimquim is a public relations journalism major.