Student Tips

This belief seems to be making the rounds in some college circles. The expected grade for just coming to class and not doing anything else is a D or an F. The average grade is supposed to be C.
Unlike Lake Wobegon, all the children in the real world are not above average.

This statement makes me very sad. There are so many things that are possibly wrong here (faulty assumptions, poor study habits, misaligned priorities).

How many hours? A college credit is defined as three hours work per week; one in class and two outside. This means that 12 credits translates to an average of 36 hours of work per week. That's why 12 credits is considered full time; it's the equivalent of a full-time job. If you have a course that meets three hours a week for 3 credits but doesn't require six hours of outside work a week to keep up, consider yourself lucky (but recognize you're not getting a bargain). Other courses may require more time. Also, individual students require different amounts of study time. It does no good to complain that three hours a week per credit is excessive, any more than it does to complain that 26 miles is too long for a marathon. They are what they are.

The one thing you can count on is that a few hours of cramming before the final will not give good results. I recently heard from a student who lamented that she stayed up until 2 A.M. studying, then got up at 6 A.M. and studied some more, and did poorly. And she was surprised? She'd have been better off getting a decent night's sleep. This is particularly true if you are taking a course in a subject you are not "good at." Contrary to human nature, which drives us to avoid pain, you must spend more time on the classes you're not good at. If you're not "good at science" you will have to work harder to succeed.

True. Students are customers, and they have every right to complain about poor service and out-of-date material. They also have a right to complain about low standards that water down their credentials.

Students are also products, and employers outside the University are also our customers. These customers have a right to complain if our graduates are lacking in skills, knowledge, and motivation. They have a right to complain if we certify someone as being a potentially good employee and that person turns out to be unqualified.

Despite the rising share students pay for their college education, students still only pay 40 percent of the total cost. That means the University's responsibility is 40 per cent to students, and 60 per cent to the community. And our customers in the community want people who can communicate, reason, and have a good general stock of knowledge they can call on for unexpected needs. They also want us to provide an assessment that accurately reflects the quality of work students are likely to turn out as employees.

No, we didn't do anything. We noticed you weren't present and we couldn't go on. We cancelled class.

The real response is, of course we did something important! We learned things that you will have to learn on your own because you weren't there, even if you have an excused absence. Attendance is mandatory according to university policy. Attendance and student performance are positively correlated very strongly in this class. Don't panic. There are resources if you missed a class due to illness or some other legitimate reason. You can come to me, and I will help you. Your neighbors may share their notes (unless they have grown weary of doing your work for you), Powerpoint lectures are posted (they alone are not a substitute for attending lecture, though a long line of lazy students have tried to make them an attendance substitute--and failed), the assigned readings are posted, my office hours are posted. The sooner YOU take the initiative to make up what you missed the better. If you just skipped class you can anticipate little assistance from me.

Right on! And ---

• I paid good money to get on this golf course and I have a right to shoot par. Anyone can enter the U.S. Open - that's what "open" means. But if you don't make the cut, you don't play in the tournament. Nor do you get a refund of your entry fee.

• I paid good money for a lawyer and I have a right to win my case.

• I paid good money for a house and I have a right to see it increase in value, even if I haven't lifted a finger to maintain it in ten years.

• I paid good money for this stock and I have a right to see it go up, even if I haven't bothered to watch the stock market. (I just know the XYZ Beta Video and 8-Track Tape Company is poised for growth!)

Almost everything you pay for in life is an entry fee. What happens next is up to you. Buy a Porsche and never change the oil and see what happens. Get a triple bypass and keep on with a diet of Leinie's Red, bratwurst and cheese, Camel straights, and Korbel brandy - you'll be back.

The work force is full of people who do the minimum necessary to get by. Give me one reason why I, as a citizen or consumer, should help create more of them?

Call me elitist, but there are a lot more people who want good jobs than there are good jobs to go around. I think society has a perfect right to reserve those positions for people who demonstrate a commitment to excellence

For people who want to get by on the minimum, there's a reward already established. It's called the minimum wage.