A large majority of any kind of class comes with memorizing terms. These terms often pertain to the topic studied in the course: for example, in a women and gender studies class, you may need to define what intersectionality is, or for a biology class, define a eukaryote. These terms are often quite well-known among members of a discipline, and serve to describe concepts and knowledge which often simplifies readings of larger texts and furthers understanding of broader topics.
These terms, as they relate to specific topics and typically specific professions, are hard to understand from a person not in such a profession. These terms, from an outside perspective, are called ‘jargon’.
Jargon is not a problem on its own. There will always be terms and concepts that you cannot understand for one reason or another. The sheer quantity of terms and concepts covered in one or two courses — let alone a lifetime of learning — are impossible for every individual to understand. However, there is a point where jargon is employed simply for the reason of exclusion and to make academia confusing and obstructed from public view. To use complex terminology in place of existing simple terms puts papers, essays, and any other kind of writing you can think of behind a wall.
There is a desperation in the fog of infinite lies that come from biased news channels and internet maniacs for truth. Some semblance of a reality that appears logical is formed by the opinion of well-educated, well-meaning people. However, for the average person, reading a paper or academic essay will feel like climbing a pane of glass. The unreachable concepts and needlessly complicated word choices bar any kind of useful information from coming through.
You may have heard a friend quote a ridiculous fact or news article that seemed bizarre, only to find it was a short-form video or simply a headline they found. Short blips of information trickle down from sound bites and catchy one-liners. Fact checking to many people seems like a task full of reading long papers and articles with words and topics they do not understand,so they simply do not check. This has far larger implications for the spreading of misinformation. There is an ever-growing population of people who do not trust or believe any scholar, outright refusing to believe proven information and spreading misinformation to those around them.
This is not the only downside of jargon, as it can cause problems even within a discipline. Taking multiple first year culture or English courses allows you to see a large range of knowledge, filtered through the lens of professors who decide what is important for a first-year class. This knowledge includes terminology, which varies intensely from course to course, even if the courses are very similar in topic. Hearing one professor decry a concept — or even just a name for a concept — that another loves makes it confusing for students, who are hoping that professors can provide them with the information they will need going into their career.
Students learning from these professors will quickly pick up on the terminology idea and begin trying to use their own understood terminology to put their answers more in line with what they now perceive as signs of intelligence.
Many of us have had experiences with classmates who raise their hands constantly only to comment something that completely takes away from the discussion. Hearing a classmate start going on in their answer with big words that do not relate at all to the discussion may seem like a flaw on the part of the student, but it is natural in our education system to associate complicated words and phrases with a higher level of intelligence. Professors feed this impression almost immediately upon introduction to their classes through their own use of such jargon.
What I have learned through this is that professors are indeed human, and you should take their advice and knowledge with a grain of salt.
The truth is, school is only part of the deal of learning. Students will ultimately find that the quality of their work and ideas triumphs over all. The most remembered and recognized work of any author is one that can be read by anyone. Sifting through the jargon and pulling out the concepts that truly depict important ideas is what matters in school and that is what is learned by discussing ideas with peers, professors, and professionals alike
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