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Fishing is one of the most stressful activities I have ever experienced. Multiple attempts to whip the fishing pole into the vast ocean left me physically and mentally weary. However, the most distressing part was the limited interaction required in the sport; sitting perfectly still until the right catch came along left me rather bored and frustrated.

Years later, I find myself in the same boat – only this time not in the Atlantic Ocean, but in lectures at UCLA. The nonexistent student-professor interaction within lecture settings leaves me rather bored and frustrated.

Sometimes, however, the right professor comes along, and sitting in lecture grants greater satisfaction than reeling in a great catch. Then, even the driest of subjects somehow transforms into the most fascinating of topics. Fishing is fun again.

However, like any great catch, I find that such professors can be quite rare at UCLA.

And such are the perils of attending a large public research university. Don’t get me wrong; attending a top-notch university with cutting-edge research is a great privilege. But any benefit comes with costs – and this time at the price of education. Realistically, research, not teaching, prevails as the main emphasis within these universities. Potential for research contribution – especially in the math and science departments – usually has higher precedence over teaching priorities. Charles Buchanan, physics and astronomy academic vice chair, noted that UCLA is “typical” in how it balances teaching and research.

Additionally, the large enrollment, a usual characteristic of public universities, leads to less time and resources available – meaning fewer professors and thus a more impersonal educational system. Also, teaching credentials are not prerequisites to teaching at any higher-level institute, which can sometimes result in lack of teaching strategies and techniques. However, what I’ve discovered from interviewing professors is that teaching quality is highly dependent on the approach and attitude of the professor, not particularly the teaching logistics.

“It’s not just how you teach the material, but how you establish relationships with the students,” physics Professor Katsushi Arisaka said.

Indeed, when professors maintain open communication with students, the learning environment is greatly enhanced. Students feel welcome to approach the professor for clarification and assistance. And as an added bonus, professors’ enthusiasm can be infectious. It seems that professors, albeit appearing small and faraway from the lecture seats, can significantly impact students’ learning, motivation and interest. Understandably, such a responsibility is difficult to balance with the demands of research and publishing the findings of that research.

Perhaps this accounts for South Campus’ notoriously difficult professor-student interactions. Because of the heavier research-driven nature of the math and sciences, the equilibrium between research and teaching is more prone to teetering on the brink compared to other departments.

On bruinwalk.com, the top 10 least recommended professors are mostly South Campus professors. Nevertheless, research is vital for the university and society. It would be illogical to request less devotion to research. Rather, just by approaching teaching with the same enthusiastic attitudes for research, the quality of teaching at UCLA can effortlessly flourish.

Of the top 10 most recommended professors on bruinwalk.com, a number of professors teach writing programs. This is not purely coincidental: The hiring of professors in this department is heavily dependent on the desire to teach instead of research motivations and contributions, writing Professor Steven Steinberg said.

True, English composition classes are much smaller than lectures, which allows greater ease in personalizing education. However, it seems that teaching is particularly effective in this department due to the professors’ visible passion for teaching. And students are first to recognize this.

“I think there’s a hunger on the part of students here to learn things. ... And I think we (as a university) sometimes don’t recognize it,” Steinberg said.

And to feed on this hunger, students fish quarter by quarter, hoping to hook a great catch to feast upon knowledge. After all, as the saying goes, “Feed a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” And such epitomizes the importance of education. Sure, fishing requires diligence and patience – and can even be boring at times. But with a little enthusiasm and the right approach, fishing can certainly be fun again.

If you share frustrating experiences with fishing, pitch an e-mail to jyoo@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.