Hello everyone:

Each semester, I run into students who just barely get by. If I ask for two-five sentence paragraphs, they give me one five-sentence paragraph, or less. Sometimes they write three sentences, if you include “great post,” which I don’t.  My question for them is: why did you even bother?

If I ask that all posting be completed by Sunday night at 11:30 pm ET, they will send me an email showing that they live on the west coast and that they therefore deserve three extra hours. They use more energy fighting with me than they expend in doing the work. Like the famous tennis shoe commercial says, Just Do It.

I had a student recently who announced that she is a “once a week student.” That won’t fly, folks. College takes a lot more than one day a week. So, she’s going to do all of her reading, all of her writing, and all of her projects in one day? Who is she kidding?

A while back, I had a class that met only on Saturday mornings. After the first class meeting, one student came up to me and said, “I thought that, because we meet on Saturday mornings, there wouldn’t be any homework.” Yes, she was serious.  I told her that it didn’t matter what day of the week a class was held, this is college and there is going to be homework. She was in shock but she did step up to the plate and got things done.  (She had also signed up for a Saturday afternoon class- I wonder if she was related to Ms. Once-A-Week Student? Apparently, she was going to get all of her college degree work done in class on Saturday.)

What experience have you had with students who didn’t apply themselves? Are you one of them?

Best,

Dr. Sheri