By Daris Howard
Most of my college students are bright, fun to teach, and work hard. But each semester I get interesting letters, emails, and phone calls from a few students. I save these, and occasionally I compile them into a column. The last couple of years I have shared some of these, and, with school just starting, I thought I’d share a few more. I don’t think any of these comments need any explanation, other than to say that I changed or removed any names for anonymity. Also, I pared down a few of them a bit.
I want you to know that the fact that I am failing your class isn’t a reflection on my math skills. I am actually really good at math. I have just been busy. I want you to know that I am actually doing worse in my other classes.
Hey Professor Howard, I’m sorry I’ve been missing so many classes. I haven’t been feeling well, and my doctor has needed me a couple of times over the past week and a half.
I have a C overall in your class on the tests and projects. I also have and a B on my homework. My question is this, when you take the B on my homework and average it with the C I already have, will that raise me to an A in the class?
I came to your office to get help on the Excel spreadsheet. You walked me through it step by step, and it looked good, but when I went home to do it, it didn’t work again. Is there something I am missing?
I was checking my grades online and noticed that I received a 0 for both my exam review and my 4c project. I turned them in with everyone else, so I was wondering why I didn’t get any of the points for these assignments. When I got them back, you had written a note saying there was no name so you didn’t know who to give points to. Even if I forgot my name, shouldn’t you have at least given me some points?
I wasn’t in class on Friday and there was an attendance quiz. How do I make up points for an attendance quiz for a day I wasn’t in class?I’m writing because I just saw my final grade and I am not happy. I basically had this math in high school and was mad that I had to take it again, so I decided that I was not going to waste my time coming to class, doing homework and projects, or anything else since I already knew it. I was sure I could get enough points on the tests to pass the class and wouldn’t need points from the other stuff. But you write your tests weird or something because I didn’t know what the questions were about and didn’t do well on any of them. And now my grade says I failed and that makes me mad. How can I fail a class on material that I already know? I need you to let me know what you are going to do so I pass. Please write back right away.
I saw the button for the online quiz we were supposed to take, so I clicked on it to see what would happen. It took me to the quiz, but I wasn’t ready, so I got out of it and now it has locked me out because it says I already attempted it. I didn’t really attempt it. I just clicked on the button that took me into it. Can you fix that for me?
I am sorry, but I won’t be able to attend class today. I got a bad case of food poisoning. My roommate thinks he can cook, but he can’t.
