graduation

There’s nothing like the feeling of being done, so hang in there

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I have a good friend who just passed her final test for a bachelor’s degree that she has been working on for a bunch of years…..I think she is on year 7 of a 4-year degree plan.

But here’s the thing- she hung in there and did it! I am so proud of her. Folks, there may be times when you are stressed and want to quit, but don’t! There may be times when the instructors seem against you (most of us really aren’t, unless you are absolutely the most obnoxious student on the face of the earth… I had one this term, believe it or not. The kid argued about everything, including the final exam, which was apparently my fault of making it too hard for him to get more than halfway through…but I digress).

Like the old saying goes, don’t try to eat the whole elephant at once, just take small bites and you will eventually finish. That’s the key: it doesn’t matter how long it takes, it is just important that you do it!

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Finishing well or not at all

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hi everyone:

This is the time of the semester when many people just give up. I had a student recently who decided not to do the last two assignments. Then she realized that, by not doing them, she had flunked the class.  She came back to me and asked if she could complete them because flunking the class meant she would not graduate and the job she had waiting would no longer be hers.

What advice do you have for her? What do you think I should do in this situation? What do you think I did? Give me your thoughts and I will tell you how the scenario played out.

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Graduating Somma Latte

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

Today’s blog is about how not to get a higher grade. I had a student recently who asked me to curve her grade by a half letter grade, so she could graduate “somma latte.” After I figured out that she meant “summa cum laude,” we were in better shape. She still didn’t get her 1/2 grade level curve, but at least I understood what she was asking for. (I thought she was ordering at Starbucks, for a moment. That sounds like something they would serve, doesn’t it?)

Sadly, she waited until the last week of class to figure out the numbers. She said that, if she got an A in just one more class, she could have honors at graduation. I’m impressed that she was that close to the goal, but the time to figure something like that out is well before the last week of class.

When I turned her down for the curve, she asked for the opportunity to re-take the final exam. She felt she could do much better on it, if she had a second go at the test. Yes, that makes perfect sense. She would have already known what the questions were, and would have had the chance to look up the answers. She did not get that, either.

When it came down to the final numbers, she was still a good student. She could still graduate “cum laude.” There was only one problem. There was no honor graduation for graduate students at that school.

What is your take on this situation? Was she trying to snow me for a higher grade? What do you think she was up to here? I would love to get your input!

Best,

Dr. Sheri