Are you trying to fail me Part Two: Nope, you are doing fine on your own

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Remember the recent blog where a student asked me if I was trying to fail him? Well, I have had a couple of students who answered that question for themselves. Here’s how it happened:

At one of the colleges where I teach, we had a final report due this past weekend. The students were required to submit a rough draft so that I could go over it, make comments on how to get a better grade on it, and then re-submit the corrected document for grading within 5 days.  Several students “chose not” to submit a rough draft. Not turning in the draft resulted in a 10 point reduction in their final score right off the top, but I guess that was okay with them. (Mr. Are You Trying to Fail Me was one of those students who did not submit a rough draft.)

The main problem with the failure to submit the rough draft was that they also chose to ignore the required format for the document. They also did not bother to read the grading rubric that I am required to use, so their documents lacked the mandatory components of the assignment. Bad call on their part! One of the students actually turned in a 3 1/2 page essay that was one-half the required length for the business report that she was supposed to be writing (a 3 1/2 page essay does not a business report make!).

I had just spent the last seven weeks teaching them how to write a memo, a business letter, an executive summary, and a body of a report, yet they threw all of that out the window when it came time to write the final document (which incorporated all of those things).

Here’s the deal: pay attention, follow the instructions, ask questions about anything that is muddy or unclear, and do not re-invent the wheel at the eleventh hour. Otherwise, I won’t be trying to flunk you- you will do just fine flunking on your own.

Have you ever experienced turning in the wrong assignment? What did you do to try and save your grade?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Preparing for Tests

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Tests….exams…..groan…..groan louder. How do you get your act together to get an exam completed successfully? Well, what kind of grade do you want?

If you are looking for a C or D, you might try to listen occasionally in class but don’t take any notes. You are going to depend on your ability to remember everything the instructor says. In eleven years of teaching college, I have met exactly ONE student who did not need to take notes, but he hung on my every word and looked at my Power Points as if they were the Holy Grail.

If you want to achieve a B, you will take some notes but never actually read the book.  You might skim it once…….You will wait until the night before the test to study and perhaps you will even pull an all-nighter. I saw a girl at the University of Maryland College Park who decided to meet with a study group at the library the night before a day of exams. She was wandering around, showing off her really cute outfit to everyone she knew…..but I didn’t see her sit down and actually study the whole time she was there. She still planned on staying up all night, but was more concerned about her shiny hair, perfect makeup, and (like I said) really cute outfit to actually accomplish anything.

If your goal is an A, then let’s talk. You plan for the exam starting at the beginning of the semester. You read the chapter before you get to class so that you have some understanding of the material, you take notes as the professor speaks, and you make a special note of anything that she seems to be spending extra time on. When you get back home, you go over your notes and make sure that you have understood the concepts she explained in class. If you are unclear, you check what the textbook says and ask the professor via email or at the next class meeting about anything that is muddy. You study throughout the semester, rather than just waiting till the last minute. You also review your notes the night before the exam.

If the instructor offers extra credit, take it. For example, I lecture on various aspects of communication and then show an episode of House, M.D. or a movie (like “Arrival”) to illustrate what I have been talking about. As I show the DVD, I talk about how that applies to the lecture. (Yes, it is annoying for me to talk over the DVD, but that’s how I show students how the DVD ties into the lecture!) The students then have the chance to write a two-page essay that incorporates the textbook chapters that we have been studying (and that will be on the exam) and the DVD. They can earn up to an entire letter grade added to the exam by writing the essay. I have gotten them into the book, shown them how to write an essay (we got over that in class), and given them the chance to earn a higher grade. Like I said, take the extra credit opportunity if one is there. You never know when you will have a bad day and need it.

If you take my suggestions, you cannot help but get a better grade on your exam. If it is too late to start at the beginning of the semester, start now and pull up your less-than-desirable grade. Let me know how it goes!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Don’t re-invent the wheel or color outside the lines

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog is geared to help you get ready for mid-term or final projects.  Let’s say that you have been in a writing class (mine, for example) for the past seven weeks and it is time for either a mid-term or final project. We just took the time to learn how to write a memo, a modified block formatted letter, and/or an Executive Summary. I download your project and find……..a memo hybrid letter and an Executive Summary that is two paragraphs long, double-spaced, with three inch margins. Aughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

What have we accomplished this term? Go back to the basics that we spent weeks on and look over the format. There is a reason why I taught you how to do headings on your memo and how to align the information in those headings so that they look like the buttons on a shirt (translation: they are straight, not jagged all over the page).

Your modified block letter should not have spacing gone wild, with quadruple spaces between the return address, the date, the addressee’s information, and the salutation. I got one of these yesterday; the text of the letter was three two-sentence paragraphs that started in the lower 1/3 of the letter. We have had seven weeks worth of my reminding students that their paragraphs needed to be five sentences MINIMUM. Each. Suddenly, that was thrown out the window as the student decided to re-invent the wheel with a six-sentence letter.

Folks, if you have a writing project that builds on itself all semester long, that’s a good thing, but do not copy and paste all of your old papers into the final report and think you are finished. Especially, do not turn in the old stuff as a new project without making the changes your instructor requested on the feedback you received when she graded your earlier work.

Another student turned in a really nice project rough draft but only used 2 out of the 7 sources she was required to have. She told me, “I’m not quite done with my research yet.” I have a feeling that there will be some source dumping going on in the next few days, since she now has to find someone, anyone, who agrees with what she already wrote. My educated guess is that she will then shoehorn the sources into one page (out of 12 pages) and consider herself done. Friends, do your research FIRST and then write. [Note: Professors do not enjoy source dumping, where only a couple of paragraphs out of the document have all the sources.]

If your instructor has given you examples of formatting for your documents, please use them. Part of going to college is learning to follow directions. Basically, you are learning to color inside the lines. While you may think that coloring all over the place is more creative, it frequently leads to a mess (and a lower grade). Your call.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Group work can be a pain in the …..well, you know

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you ever been assigned group work in your academic life? Well, then you know it can be a great experience or …..not. Here are some tips to help you become the teammate from heaven versus the teammate from….well, you know where.

First, try to be evenly matched. That does not mean that you team up with your best friend in the class. I give my students a Work Ethics quiz that is not graded and they do not hand in. The quiz asks things such as, “What is your idea of turning something in ‘on time’?” If you get one person who says “If it’s due at 11:59, I turn it in at 11:58” and someone else who turns things in two days early, they will kill each other or, in the very least, drive each other mad!

The quiz also asks what grade they want to achieve on the assignment. Yes, some students are perfectly happy with a C, while others strive for nothing less than an A. It is a poor pairing to put an A with a C.

They are asked what their idea of “doing research” is. If they google everything and are happy with newspaper articles, they should not be on a team with someone who looks through scholarly journals.

Second, exchange contact information right at the start, figure out your time table for getting things done, and coordinate when you will have team meetings outside of class. You need to know the other team members’ most-used email and cellphone information. Trading never-used email addresses is pretty worthless. You also need to work backwards from the due date, so that you know when various aspects of the project must be complete. Also, even if your instructor lets you meet during class time, you will still need to meet in order to work out final details and polish the assignment.

Keep in mind that, the smaller your group, the easier it will be to meet. While you will both be doing more work if you are on a two-person team, a three-person team frequently someone is a free loader. A three-person team I was on once had a fellow whose total contribution to a 42-page paper was “nice job, guys” and “my name is Stephen with a “ph,” not a “‘v’.”  Yes, he was really helpful…..

Next, communicate with the instructor to let him or her know if you are having challenges with a teammate. I permit my teams to “fire” an unproductive member, after they discuss it with me thoroughly beforehand. Do NOT complain and try to fire someone who has missed one minor deadline. I have had individuals whose teammates did not respond to an email within minutes turn around and complain to me about their partner. It takes me about 24 hours to get back to you, so give the person some leeway for responses. Talk to the individuals on your team and explain how important it is to you to keep on track. Life happens, but don’t accept repeated excuses for why the work wasn’t done this week, either.

Finally, do not wait until the last minute. The instructor gave you weeks to work on the project for a reason. If you wait until midnight the night before it is due, don’t expect a good grade. If you are in my class, I will let you have a “free feedback” opportunity, provided you bring the assignment to me one week before it is due. I will glance over all parts of the assignment and give you feedback that you can take home and use to correct the document. Ask your professor if he or she is willing to do the same for you. While we don’t catch everything with a quick glance, we can tell you if you are on the right track!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

How supportive is your significant other?

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog asks a very important question: How supportive is your significant other as you complete your college education? I was in college when I met my hubby, but, as we got serious, my college education took a back seat to our romance. It took 20 years for me to be able to return to college; that’s a long time to wait!

If you are married, of course, you don’t want to get a divorce over the issue of being in school, but if you have an un-supportive person in your life such as a casual boyfriend or girlfriend, you may wish to rethink your relationship.

Does your significant other encourage your academic pursuits or does that individual look for ways to set up roadblocks? Does the person sigh heavily every time you say you need to study or does that person help with the chores so you can focus on your classes? Does the person make snide comments about the time you are taking away from him or her or does your Sugar Plum say that he or she appreciates your commitment to the future? Does your sweetie seem jealous of your accomplishments in the classroom or does he or she applaud your every success?

These are things to think about and ponder. Is college worth it? You bet it is! The intangible rewards are tremendous, as you become more self-confident, become better organized, increase your interpersonal communication skills, and gain greater self-esteem. The tangible rewards, such as better and more gainful employment, also make the journey you are on worthwhile. You can do this!

I would love to hear how your significant other has helped you on this road. What has he or she done to support your classwork? Let’s share some ideas that might help others. [One thing that I did was to set a timer for how much longer I needed to study. That way, when my hubby wanted to go out to enjoy the day, I could tell him, “I need to study for 30 more minutes; then I can go.” It kept him happy, knowing that there was an end in sight that day and we really could have some time together.]

Best,

Dr. Sheri

College students: If you want to have a garden, you have to use some worms

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

What in the world do worms have to do with college students? Well, my sister-in-law is a gardener and she has found that a good garden requires a good foundation. Her foundation is worms.

You are laying the foundation for the fulfillment of your dreams, whether you want to be a hotel owner, restaurant manager, or president. To that end, you have to lay the foundation of what you hope to become by making sure that you have the background needed to accomplish those dreams.

Maybe you don’t think that your communication class is necessary, but you will need to be able to communicate effectively with your employees. Maybe you think the math class is a waste of time, but you will need math to add up your assets and subtract your liabilities. Maybe you think your science class is not worth the bother, but you will need to know about carbs and fats if your restaurant is ever investigated for serving unhealthy food. What this means is you need to know about worms, the foundation of what you DO want.  Food, literally, for thought.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Getting it done or getting by

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you ever wondered why some students excel while others, who seem equally intelligent, just get by? When a student did poorly in my class, I used to think it was me. Now I know that individuals have different goals for their education.

Maybe they are in college just to stay on their parents’ medical insurance policy. Maybe they are there to avoid having to get a post-high school job. One of my favorite reasons is the student who told me, “Well, the judge said I had a choice between prison or college. I chose college.” I thought, “Oh, goodie goodie gumdrops- you chose my class.”  He turned out to be a good student and a very pleasant young man…..but I never found out what crime he had been convicted of……

I have been teaching an online class recently and there is a student who always does the absolute minimum, no matter what the assignment. He seems talented but chooses to waste his time with the course, rather than apply himself. It is such a pity.

Why do you think some students just get by instead of getting it done? Have you ever done that yourself? I look forward to hearing from you and how you overcame it…..of not.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Letters of recommendation

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog deals with that all-important letter of recommendation from your instructor. You may need one in order to get into a four-year college, if you are in a community college. You may be required to provide letters in order to get a scholarship or to get a better-paying job. The very best letter you can get is one that the instructor offers to give you, without your even needing to ask. So, how do you get one?

The first few hints are intuitively obvious, but still need to be included. First, be a good student who shows up on time, who shows up for each class meeting totally prepared for the day, and who does well on assignments and exams. “Okay,” you may be saying, “what else is new?”

Go beyond that, folks. Be pleasant to everyone, from the teacher and the other students, to folks who can never “do” anything for you. Do you know who the janitor is in the buildings you have classes in? Do you ever thank that individual for the work he or she does? Do you greet the advisers, the office staff, and previous instructors with a smile on your face? This may sound silly, but you never know when the instructor you plan on asking for a reference is watching.

Don’t go about like an Eddie Haskel, pretending to be nice and then turning into a monster when the instructor’s head is turned. Be genuinely nice. Ask your instructor how his or her weekend went and pay attention to the answer. Talk to your fellow students before or after class, don’t just show up and clomp out.

I was asked for a reference letter just this past week. The student was in a class of mine one year ago, but I still remembered her because, not only was she a top student, but because she threw herself enthusiastically into every assignment. She never complained about anything, but truly sought to take charge of her own education. It was easy to write a reference for her; she was one of the most involved students I have every met. When she was in class, she was in class with every fiber of her being. I had 150 students that semester, but she clearly stood out. Be that student!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

P.S. Eddie Haskel was on Leave it to Beaver.

Checking in at mid-term time

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

For some of you, midterm time has already arrived. For others, it may still be a couple of weeks away. Whenever it is for you, let’s take a moment or two and see where you stand.

How are your grades so far? One poorly-done exam will probably not destroy your grade for the class, but if you have not performed up to snuff, now is the time to step back and get a handle on things.

What upcoming projects do you have? Does your teacher offer free feedback at any point in time? (I offer free feedback to anyone who brings me a rough draft of a document one week before it is due. In my face-to-face classes, I will immediately look over the document and tell them what I think and how to improve the work. For online students, they can take advantage of Free Feedback Thursday, when a document is due the next Sunday.) Have you taken advantage of that opportunity? For my online students, I find only 3 students out of 25 will organize their time effectively enough to get the feedback. When they do use the free feedback, they usually get an A on the assignment, compared to a C when they “do their own thing.”  For face-to-face classes, one or two students out of 25 will use the free feedback offer.

Do you have any extra credit offers? If so, use them. You never know when you will have a bad day and will need the extra credit. Do not wait until the last week of class to ask for extra credit opportunities because I am busy grading all the final projects and you will not get it!

Hope this helps!

Dr. Sheri

Note taking in college

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Have you seen them? They are the clear-eyed students sitting about halfway back in the room who never seem to need to take notes. They tell themselves that they will remember everything the instructor says, so note taking is for wimps. I see them all the time, usually in a class that they are on track to fail.

In eleven years of teaching face-to-face classes, I have only run into ONE student who literally did not need to take notes. The fellow watched my every move and seemed to memorize the Power Point slides. He made an A on every test. He came up to me at the beginning of the semester and told me ahead of time that this was his preferred way to take a class, so that I would not be insulted by his failure to write anything down.

Folks, I usually have between 50 and 75 face-to-face students per term. Multiple that times two terms per year (fall and spring) times eleven years and you have a boatload of students. In all those years, only ONE student succeeded with this method. What does that tell you? (Hint: That this method does not work for other folks.)

What ideas have you found helpful to taking notes in your classes? It would be great if we could share tips.

Best,

Dr. Sheri