What if being labeled a “challenging” student wasn’t a bad thing—but a sign that you’re taking ownership of your learning?

In this short segment from the Black-Liberation.Tech Podcast, Dr. Renee Jordan speaks directly to students navigating college classrooms that feel unclear, unstructured, or intimidating. When there’s no homework, vague lectures, or silence after complex material, it’s easy to assume you are the problem.

You’re not.

Being a “challenging” student doesn’t mean being disrespectful—it means disrupting silence with curiosity, asking questions out loud, and refusing to stay confused alone. In this episode, Dr. Jordan breaks down how to use digital notes to capture questions in real time, how to advocate for clarity with professors and TAs, and why your questions often represent many others in the room.

This segment is especially for Black girls, Latinas, and Afro-Latinas learning to trust their intellectual voice and claim space in academic environments that weren’t designed with them in mind.

DIY Takeaway: Write your questions as you read. Bring them to class. If clarity doesn’t come, seek it—office hours, tutoring, or digital tools. Your understanding is worth the effort.