homework

Do your homework or dislike the results

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I have been teaching college for 12 years now and one of the biggest mysteries to me is why students pay good money for their education, come to class on a regular basis, but do not turn anything in.

The only thing I can figure is that their parents are paying for their education, they enjoy coming to class, but they don’t want to do the work. Is college entertainment for them or did Mom and Dad say “go to college or get a job?” Do they figure that sitting in a classroom for hours every week is considered “going to college?” I guess it is, technically speaking.

I would love to read your comments about their mindset because they otherwise appear to be intelligent folks. Why do you think they do it (or actually, don’t do it, as far as homework is concerned).

Best,

Dr. Sheri

Planning Backwards

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

I had some students ask me recently how to plan their group project. I would suggest that they begin at the end result and then plan backwards.

For example, let’s say you have a group project due in one month. Today is the 1st, in this example. When do you want to have the document finished? (I suggest at deadline of two or three days before it’s due, to give you time to let the dust settle). Now, instead of having a due date of the 30th, you have given yourselves a deadline of the 27th.

When do all of the team members need to have their part of the document ready for the person who is putting it together?  Let’s day that you want to give the compiler three days to do that, so now your due date for your own part of the final draft is the 23rd.

When do individuals need to have their research completed? So that you all have plenty of time to discuss what you have found (and because everyone is busy with work, family, and school projects), let’s say that you want a one week lead time for that. Your due date for that part of the project is now the 16th.

When should you begin to look for research? It may take you two weeks to look down rabbit trails and ask the professor for clarification, so now your personal due date is the 2nd. That is in two days, so you better get to work with your partners and figure out what it is you are going to talk about. You only have two days to decide, so start work on this today!

Would this system work for you? What suggestions could you add to it?

Best,

Dr. Sheri

When you do what you do, make sure you do it right

Posted on by Sheri Dean Parmelee

Hello everyone:

As you know, I teach at three different colleges. My students range from first year freshmen to graduate students and everything in between. No matter their year in college, they sometimes share a common problem: they don’t follow the directions.

One thing about college, and about work life, it is important to give your boss what he or she is looking for. It’s kind of like being a wedding planner. If the bride wants pink carnations and the planner delivers orange roses, the bride is not going to be happy. If the groom wants everyone in black tuxedos and they show up wearing purple shorts, things are not going to go well. If the couple wants chicken and steak at the reception and the caterer delivers fish, that is not a good thing.

Likewise, when your professor gives you specific instructions, why do some students decide to “to their own thing?” Before you begin an assignment, read the directions. Then read them again. Do not wait until the night before an assignment is due to do this reading, or nothing will make sense (see a previous blog on this topic). Read through any announcements your instructor has made, to see if things have been clarified (some announcement postings are predicated upon the professor being asked a question repeatedly because things are not clear to your classmates).

As you complete an assignment, check through your document to make sure that you did everything that was required, and then post it.

Have you run into a situation where you did not follow the instructions? What happened?

Best,

Dr. Sheri