Facebook is the social networking site that almost every college student visits to escape the pressures and assignments of college. Facebook is used by students to catch up with friends, meet new people, look up a crush, play games, and essentially procrastinate. However, Facebook and college are beginning to intersect in more ways than one.

Facebook is not only the most popular networking website for college students, but it has become a word used in everyday conversations. Although primarily a website, “Facebook” is slowly becoming a verb. When friends say that they “facebooked” their co-workers, most people know they looked the person up, discovered their background, and checked them out. The website is so popular that it is not a question “if” your friend has a Facebook, but whether you have added them as a friend yet.

Facebook is already being used for campus events, so it is natural for the website to progress to classes. The student organizations that put together activities such as concerts, dances, and lectures all have Facebook groups that promote awareness. These Facebook events have increased attendance at university gatherings and are helping university life grow.

Some of the younger and more “hip” professors at colleges understand how massive Facebook is, and are incorporating their course with the website.

I recently took Chinese Pop Culture at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and was surprised to learn that the class had its own Facebook page. The teacher and the TA’s encouraged all of the students to become “fans” so they could access the information on the page.

After becoming a fan, I noticed that more than 60 of the 70 students had already become fans. At first, I was skeptical of the page’s effectiveness, but the common Facebook features worked flawlessly with the college class theme.

The Facebook page showed the location and time of the class under the “information” tab. Our TA had written two “notes” for everyone to read that outlined the required formats for writing our papers. Of course, the usual way of presenting this information to a class would be to pass out sheets of paper in class, this modern method saves ink and paper, while providing a reliable resource to those who may have misplaced their papers.

Perhaps most important was the usage of “events.” Events that students choose to attend pop up on their home page and remain there until the event passes. As a result, students do not forget about the events they committed to because of their repeated exposure. On the Facebook page for my Chinese class, important assignments were turned into events. Then, I could click “attend” on these events, and be reminded of when our term paper was due, and where our final was being held. Not only was I constantly reminded of when our midterm’s date, but I would feel guilty every time I signed onto Facebook, because I knew that I didn’t have that much time to study.

During my next class, the students were informed that we would be considered for extra credit if we posted relevant items on the Facebook page. By the time I checked my Facebook, everything from photos to YouTube videos were posted on the page. Pictures of students in Taiwan were added to the website, as were photos of actors and actresses studied in class. When we progressed through Chinese films, videos of other films by Chinese directors were hyperlinked onto the page. When the class delved into the music of China, songs were posted and discussions of “What is your favorite Chinese Song?” were started between students.

Incorporating Facebook with college courses may not be the end of using Facebook as an escape from academia. In fact, the coming together may actually benefit students. Almost all students will join the group, and by attending events, students will be reminded of upcoming due dates and tests. Even if professors do not offer extra credit for posting extra material, the uploaded videos and discussions will offer greater understanding for students.

The increasing use of Facebook with college courses will hopefully create a greater understanding for enrolled students.