Hello everyone:

Have you ever heard of a Dead Face Diva? Well, I have met a couple. They sit in class, obviously bored to tears, not participating ….ever…, and always with the same responses whenever I ask a question: “What he (or she) said” or “I don’t know….” (Note that a whine accompanies the second response.)

What do you think a professor thinks about that? I think that D. F. Diva is hopped up on drugs or is not the one paying for college. Or both. I think Mom and Dad are making huge sacrifices for a grown child who does not appreciate it and resents being in school.

What is my recommendation for the parents of such a student? Pull her out of college immediately so she doesn’t infect the other students with her horrid attitude and make her get a real job for the next couple of years. Perhaps a couple of years experience slinging hash will make her appreciate being in school and give her the maturity to actually apply herself when she gets back.

I have had several young men in my classes who learned the hard way that only having a high school education will not get you a very good job.  They leave college at the bottom of their class, work a job for a couple of years turning the “slow” or “stop” sign on the side of the road, and then come running back to college.

They usually come up to me with apologies for how they acted in my class the first time and with promises for a much better work ethic this time. The amazing thing is that the couple of years they were gone and the life they had while out of college leads them to apply themselves and end up at the top of the class. It is a maturing experience some students simply need.

So, to my Dead Face Divas, I leave this message: straighten up or join the real world for a while and then come back as an adult. Ladies, you aren’t there yet.

Best,

Dr. Sheri