College Life

Posts about college life, students, professors, and grades.

Choosing Really Bad Topics for Assignments or How to Really Tick off the Professor

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

How do you pick a topic to write about? Hopefully, you do not seek out the one topic that the professor will hate and focus all of your attention on that.

Case in point: I teach a few classes per year as an adjunct full professor for a college I have been with for the past ten or more years. I enjoy teaching business and professional writing for them and the college seems to enjoy my enjoyment.

This term, I have a student who shall remain nameless (lest he sue me) who has proposed a topic as follows: He wants to write about his stance that, since pot is now legal in many states, employees who come to work high should be allowed to sue their employers for discrimination, should the employers fire them for coming in stoned. Say what????? Seriously??

I even suggested earlier in the term that he pick a different, more appropriate topic but he is not to be deterred. Be still my soul….

I would love to get your take on this issue. What would you do with this suggestion? Can you even imagine a doctor suing the hospital for firing him (or her) for coming in to perform brain surgery, after having a few drags on a marijuana cigarette? Perish the thought! Am I being too conservative?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Nontraditional Students? How Do You Cope?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I run into nontraditional students (AKA older than most of the other folks) all the time these days. When I was an undergraduate (2001-2006), I was a rarity. But as the divorce rate leaves 813,000 people per year alone and 800,000 people per year are widowed, more people (mostly women, from my observation) are trying to further their careers by going back to school.

Some are seeking undergraduate degrees but most of the folks I see are after graduate education. So, that begs the question: How do you cope with being the oldest person in the room, except for the professor? (Please note that, when I was in college, I was older than most of my professors, but I digress.)

I found it very lonely, since I was the only person I knew who was back at school at UMCP who was my age…. The students basically wanted my notes and my help with projects, but we never hung out together. My college did not acknowledge the presence of older students.

Thankfully, that has changed. These days, there are more folks who are returning to complete their educations (or to get them in the first place) and there is more fellowship available for them.

So how do you manage running your household, caring for kids, earning a living, and going to school? Very carefully. You need to get a month-at-a-glance calendar and mark off every assignment, every day you are working, and all of your children and family activities.

You will have to be very disciplined, but I know you can do it. I ran a decorating business, home schooled, was active in my church, and went to school full time. As I got into higher and higher education, some of those activities went by the wayside (my homeschooler graduated, the company I represented closed up shop, and I learned that I didn’t have to be at church every time the doors opened).

I congratulate you on your decision to make a better life for yourself and your family. I also know that, if I did it, you can too.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Class Started Today but You Were a No-show

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

There are times when you should be in class. In my humble opinion, this should be every day. Apparently, you think differently. Just like last term and the semester before, you didn’t show up for the first class meeting.

We accomplished quite a bit today. We went over the syllabus in detail (yes, I know that must be a dreadful bore but now everyone, except you, knows what to expect for the entire semester). We picked teams for the semester. You aren’t on one.

Now, I did consider letting others pick you for a teammate without your being there, but it’s really unfair to them. The reflection papers I got from your teammates last term talked about just how hard it was to get you to do anything and how hard it was to plan things when you rarely appeared for Team Time in class. So what’s a professor to do?

I have an idea: You can work alone this term. Yep, that seems totally fair, given what I observed and your former teammates shared. It isn’t that I don’t like you. I do. You are a very pleasant person to be around, albeit a very unreliable one.

What are your thoughts on this? I would love to see what you say.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

To Take Extra Credit or Not to Take Extra Credit: That is the Question

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I have one class that had the chance to take an extra credit opportunity recently. Students should think of this rare bird as an insurance policy, not a bother. Let me tell you why.

You might have a bad day. I heard a story from a friend of mine who only had to take four out of five exams in one of his classes. What did he do? He blew off an early exam, in favor of taking all the rest of the tests for the semester. He went to the beach instead of going to class. That might have been the end of the story, but it wasn’t.

Later that term, the really, really bad flu was going around. He managed to duck it for a few weeks, until disaster struck right before the final exam. Yep, he got the flu. He was so sick he couldn’t see straight. Sadly, he had skipped the earlier exam, so the final was absolutely necessary, if he wanted to pass the course. And he did. Guess how he took that final? Yep, he showed up coughing, sneezing, high temp, feeling really punk, and wrapped in a blanket. It was not a pretty sight, as you might imagine.

Some students came up to me after class when I had just talked about the extra credit and asked, “Is that mandatory extra credit? Do we really have to do it?” (Note that their emphasis was on the word “have.”) I told them that, first of all, they needed it badly and, second, it would help them study for the final exam. Yes, they did “have” to do it.

Now folks, I realize you are busy (let’s compare schedules some time) but why would you give up this chance to turn a mediocre grade into a really nice one? Think about it. Seriously. Then thank the instructor and do the extra work.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Incomplete Does Not Mean You are a Nincompoop, It Just Means You Need to Get Busy

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Sometimes, the end of the semester comes before the end of your work. Now, if you are just poorly organized, you can’t really expect the professor to cut you a break.

On the other hand, if your computer woke you up with the black screen of death, your father had a stroke, your son got a broken arm, and your daughter just had quintuplets, then you might have a solid foundation for asking for a little more time. Ask the professor, nicely, if you can get an incomplete and finish in a couple of weeks.

One the other hand, if your husband’s birthday required that you bake him a cake and you still haven’t recovered your stride for the past two weeks, then, I am not motivated to give you an extension. (Yes, I have heard that excuse. I didn’t buy it because, the way I looked at it, she knew her hubby’s birthday was coming, he wasn’t a three or four year old, and I doubt that it really took her two weeks to recover from …baking a cake???)

Now, the thing about getting the incomplete is that you need to do the work to turn it into a complete grade. Let’s say you had an eight week course. You got behind and only did work for the first three weeks. You managed, by the grace of God and the kindness of your professor, to get a three week extension. This means you now have three weeks to complete five weeks worth of work.

The amazing thing is that some folks will then proceed to do either (a) nothing at all and still end up with an F or (b) do the assignments so poorly that they fail anyway. The third option (c) is that they do the work wonderfully and end up with an A. Please note that, in my thirteen years of teaching college classes, option c has never happened. Not once. Most of the time, option a is preferred but, every once in a while, I see an option b.

So, what should you do? Get busy, like the title of this blog posting says. Right now. Don’t wait till the cake cools or you get it iced and eaten. Do the work now, turn it in as quickly as you can (making sure that you are submitted quality work), and finish the course successfully.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Students are a Blessing; Some More than Others

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I love my students. They are cheerful (usually), intelligent (for the most part), and hard workers ( 9 times out of 10). They are engaged in the subject matter and love to get me to go off script when I’m lecturing and encourage me to head down a rabbit trail. And that’s fine.

The times when we have our greatest time of fellowship is when the topic doesn’t seem to match the lecture. Until it does. They say that “more is caught than taught,” and I have to agree. Perhaps we are discussing communication technology, like we were in one class yesterday. Seemingly irrelevant information led to a wonderful chat about how technology has affected our everyday life. Which, in the end, was the whole point.

My students became very animated as I shared the differences between their lives and mine at the same age. Just imagine taking a walk and NO ONE being able to reach you. Going into the ladies’ room and not overhearing someone carrying on a conversation while using the facilities. (That happened to me today!) (Please note, I was not the talker….)

It was a great conversation. We shared about the prevalence of mental health issues in young people in this generation. That was basically unheard of in my generation. So what do you think? Is technology to blame, at least partially? Let’s talk about it.

I would argue that these precious young people are an incredible generation; they are a real blessing in my life. But imagine life with the complete lack of privacy; I think that is what they are facing now.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Pay Attention to Feedback or It Could Cost You Some Major Points

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

On every assignment for every class I teach, I offer feedback. Students are also sent emails via our announcement page, and they get special postings where they can locate additional instructions on how to successfully complete an assignment.

But some students doggedly hang onto the wrong way of doing something, too stubborn to follow the instructions. Why would they do that? They are paying a lot of money (or someone else is) for them to go to college, yet they absolutely refuse to learn. I don’t understand.

Case in point: I am teaching an online writing class where I went over the instructions via the announcement page. The instructions are also in the syllabus. I explained and re-explained (if that is even a word), only to get emails from students who told me “I didn’t know….”

Well, now we know who isn’t paying attention. We now know who spends more time paying with his or her handheld device than checking out what my announcements and the syllabus say.

Funny thing, it isn’t just the online student doing this. I had a residential student who was so intent on her texting that, when I specifically mentioned her actions in class, she never noticed. I stopped speaking and stared at her, looking amused (I’m hoping it was my amused face, that is, and not my really-ticked-off face).

The whole class turned around and looked at her, and still she texted on, totally oblivious to what I had just said. The class got the giggles, albeit, briefly. The silence finally got her attention. She looked up. I asked, “You finished with that yet? Are you ready to re-join the class now?”

A few minutes later, the phone was back in her hand.

Here’s the lesson to be learned: Pay attention, follow the instructions, ask questions if you don’t understand, and stop texting while the instructor is talking or you may end up with the words “I didn’t know….” coming out of your mouth.

My reply? “I talked about it while you were texting…”

Best,

Dr. Sheri

I’m About to Graduate: AKA What Do I Do Now????

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

During my time as a residential faculty member, numerous students have come to me, asking what I think they should do after college. What should their next steps be?

To help guide their thinking, the first things I usually ask are “What do you want to do?” and “Where do you like the weather?” If you are young and unattached, why not live some place you are going to enjoy when you aren’t working? As long as you and your family members live near a major airport, you can still see quite a bit of one another.

One thing you do need to realize is that this is a MAJOR change to everything you are used to. Don’t let that blindside you, once you get out of college. Your whole life, you have defined yourself as a student and now you won’t be. It can be a real culture shock.

So, who are you? You have been a son or daughter, and you still will be, but who are you, as a person, an adult? I can tell you who I am- perhaps that will help you define yourself.

Okay, here goes: I am a daughter, sister, mother, and grandmother who teaches residential classes and online courses for a major Christian university. I am a runner, writer, sign language interpreter, and choir member. I am a child of God.

That wasn’t too hard, but I knew ahead of time what to say. Now it’s your turn. What do you do? What do you enjoy? Tell me about yourself and it will be easier to know who you are. Do you support the arts? Do you enjoy sports? What kind of work would you love to do, even if you didn’t get paid for it? Perhaps student debt won’t allow you to do that at the start, but that could be your next goal.

Where do you want to go in life? Do you want a big house and a really nice car or would you prefer to be a full-time missionary living out in the wilds of a foreign land? Or do you believe, like I do, that your mission field is here in the States?

I know a young man who worked for years as an employee for a secular company, but he now works for less pay at a major Christian nonprofit company. He absolutely loves his job and finds great fulfillment in it. “Tell me what you love and I will tell you who you are,” as someone very wise once said.

So, your first step as you prepare to finish your coursework should be to determine who you are. Once you know that, you will have a better idea of what kind of job to apply for and what your next steps will be.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Dawn Isn’t Just for Dish Grease: Use it On Clothes

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi everyone:

I learned something from one of my daughters-in-law this weekend. I had gotten some grease on a favorite blouse and the stain just wouldn’t come out.

She told me, “Mom, one of our neighbors told me to use Dawn dish soap on grease stains.”

I tried it and it worked like a champ! I had washed that blouse three times, with special spot remover, once and full-strength detergent twice, to no avail. I popped some Dawn on the blouse and washed it again. Presto! No more stain!

When I came home from my trip, I went directly to to store, bought a big bottle and put it… next to my washing machine. No more expensive stain removal products for me! Give me my dish soap and no one will get hurt! 🙂

Do you have any ideas that I can share with my readers? I would love to hear about your non-traditional fixes!

Best,

Dr. Sheri