Students often are worried about the real-world application of their majors and classes, but there are things that their professors can do to assure them of the value of their degree. Jordan Shropshire, Ph.D., a professor in the Information Technology department, created a scenario called War Games. In this scenario, students are divided into teams that attack each other’s systems, while simultaneously trying to defend their own over a period of 48 hours. The War Games provide a situation where students do what they would be doing in a post-graduate job while in school, something more classes should try to follow.

Professors should try to put students in real-world scenarios as often as possible in their classrooms. Not only will this prepare students for jobs later in life, it also allows for a more interesting classroom for students and professors alike. It may be more difficult for some majors to have classes that have a real-world angle to them, but the professors at Georgia Southern University can live up to that challenge. Perhaps professors can also give students a taste of what graduate school in their particular field feels like as well, giving students a better idea of what both options hold for them.

The War Games are a classroom model that other professors should follow in their own manner so that their students have a better idea of the real-world demands of their degrees.