posted October 20, 2016 02:25 PM            

Throughout the semester, she has complained about her evening classes being full of complainers who blame her when they fail quizzes and tests. When she tells us what these evening classes are telling her, i'm always nodding and saying "yep" in my head. I suspect that these evening classes are full of busy people with full time jobs and/or families. I fall into that demographic because I work a full time job while taking a full course load. In fact, my biology professor has outright said "It's not my fault if you dont have time to study because of work or other obligations". She was basically trying to say that those of us who struggle are just lazy and have nobody to blame but ourselves.

The problem I have with her is that I never know what to study to pass her quizzes! I study my azz off for that class and still fail every quiz. The thing is she sucks at telling us what we need to focus on when we study. Biology is a very heavy subject (captain obvious statement here). Every chapter has a bunch of concepts to learn and my professor randomly picks one or two to focus on in her quizzes and doesn't really tell us what those will be. For example, the last quiz was on two concepts out of 40 or so in our chapter study guide. I studied my ass off all weekend and looked at my study guides and textbook over and over again and still failed the quiz on Monday. I wanted to pull my hair out when I saw my grade.

Most college professors realize that their students have lives outside of their classes. Thus, they put an emphasis on information you need to know to pass their class (I.E they dont weigh you down with unnecessary sh*t). H*ll, a lot of professors give you a study guide/syllabus that tells you exactly what you need to study to pass their tests and exams. Guess what? I have zero problems passing when I know what is expected of me. That isnt the case with my biology professor though and i'm paying the price for it. I sent her a very lengthy email expressing all of my frustrations and concerns, but i'm not expecting anything given her previous responses to criticism/feedback.

posted October 21, 2016 03:34 AM            

1) Did you not check rate my professor before enrolling in the course? http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/

2) How well ranked is the institution? Is it a community college, a state school or an ivy league School? This may have an effect on the type of faculty you may recieve.

3) Find out if she has tenure. She sounds as if she is a sessional/term/contract instructor.

They aren't treated and paid very well there essentially "fill in instructors" for a short period of time. Most profesors whould rather perform research then teach.

So they get a sessional to take there place if there on sabatico, academic leave or performing research.

4) Can you not ask permision to take the equivalent course at another instution with a better instructor?

posted October 28, 2016 08:20 PM            

That's why some (types of) businesses want to require that you have a year or two of college before joining them. It's terrible having coworkers who are still playing out 'highschool' behaviors, and don't know how to relate 'as an adult' in the working world.

On one hand... ~Saturn!! *boos hisses*
I like that your teacher has told the class that this truly IS their responsibility to be READY to learn, have your material read and studied. You NEED to put in the work required for the course.
... It "cost" somebody some money to put someone in school. In these times, many parents sacrifice and pay for their children's education. It's because of parents/relatives/scholarships that you can be able to GO to College and receive the privilege of getting a higher-level college education. What a freakin' Opportunity and Blessing!!!

Knowledge-applied is potential Wealth, the ability to improve your mind for you to GET Wealth.

On the other hand...
Oh my my... I DO sympathize and understand about teachers who are boring, and can't hold interest especially during night-courses-- especially, after you've been at work all day.

I had taken a 4-credit history course at NIGHT once... with a really boring teacher.

One observation I've heard (from older people, returning to college after having had college experience in their younger years), is that the material now is extremely "dumbed-down" and watered. The quality of the degree gained today did not seem as Valuable for gaining knowledge-- people with degrees might not have the same kind of "competence" that older people had?

Maybe the insistence (from students) that they don't really want to learn, and are 'only' there to pass the course is part the reason the degrees don't count as much towards competence (if observations I've heard are true). The "richness" of the courses could possibly be lower?

(That makes me sad.... What a TRUE Gift receiving an Education is! ... I understand about people being tired? But WOW... what they 'miss-out' on by not taking the time to GET themselves interested in what they learn?)

Every Day is a Wonderful Opportunity to LEARN something that can Change your Life.

(And if you are the one who paid the money, already, to do this, why not shift something inside you to be able to fully appreciate what the Learning can DO for you.)

haha, I'm a Lifelong Learner? (Saggi riser)

I had some really super-hard courses that gave me a variety of problems-- like ones I've read here.

I was required 4 semesters of Music History. I could BARELY pull a C for that first two semesters. I could NOT figure out 'what he was asking for' in his questions! I'd misinterpret what he asked all the time. I had a study circle with my friends (for the course), and even that didn't help.
.. That was the one semester I had to 'repeat' because my grade was too low. I LOVED what I was learning.... that wasn't the problem. The tests boggled me. When I repeated the course, a friend tried to coach me better on 'how' to answer the various question. (Short answer, and multi-choice).

The last two semesters of taking this history, we had a different professor, who mainly required papers and essays. I scored A's with him because it was my 'mode' (musical-pun! LOL).

There was another prof for another course, d who was ultra-narcissistic. He NEVER taught course material (sociology). He only bragged/talked about himself...

I was taking this course with 8 peers. They all stopped bothering coming to his classes, but I 'being the responsible one' still went. The prof was a sleeze who would low-voice mumble the announcement of coming pop-quiz AFTER the bell rang and many people had already left the hall. Knowing he did this, I'd be sure to stay in the hall as long as he was still there. I'd pick up on the announcement, then warn my friends. ... for which they were grateful! (One of them gave me his notes, his brothers and cousins collection of notes and old exams, for a class I planned to take in the next year. THAT was Cool. *thumbsup* Apparently the prof had 5 versions of the exams... and he would piece together his tests from those. I had a good set of study notes.)

Going back to the sociology prof-- I studied my azz off for that course. We had 22 books to read... (more than any other course I had taken). I kept a FULL 16-18 credits a semester, so I had lots of other things to read also (PLUS had a part-time job that let me study for part of the time).

(Oh, and one time, I had 22-credits??? and THAT turned out to be sheer insanity.... never never never again!! LOL. I BARELY recall learning anything well-enough that semester. It made me 'clever' about the 6 papers I had to write, in the SAME two week period of time-- I chose one topic and geared each course around that one general topic. I can't EVEN remember what it was right now! LOL)

I prepared soooo hard in that sociology course, and ONLY scored a D! ... After that, I just gave up. I ONLY read the titles and subtitles, maybe the first sentence, (22 books??), and said screw it on the rest of the material. ... I scored a B, by NOT studying for that course. I'd be 'familiar' with the material but didn't truly 'know' and imbibe what I had learned in that course.

I felt like I paid for the course (I was truly interested in), and didn't get the Learning I wanted or expected.

There was another course (on brains, nerves, and consciousness), that I was fascinated by--- I decided to drop the class and took it early morning, as a Summer course. (I'd work full time during the summers.) I learned deeply-- which is what I prefer. I had lots of time to let it sink in, and 'think' and consider what I was learning. Later, that led to an independent project, from which I was able to publish an article on, later in life.

TIP: .SAVE your Papers you write. Later on, if you work on these and tweak them? You could get your work Published... It keeps giving back!

One last course..... was a course offered in the English department. The class got filled, and another prof was hired last minute to open another classroom.

The standards of the first prof were sooooo freakin' freakin' high. He BARELY handed out an A... in fact, he said it was good for us not to get an A. I found out (after it was way too late) that the prof in the other course was more interesting and everyone got A's and B's. My prof was UNmerciful....(Although, I DID manage to receive some As on my weekly papers.) At the end, I had done a 10,000 word paper (required at the same time as another 5,000 word one). I slipped it under the door to his office "5" minutes late, and he FLUNKED me for it.
... booooo Saturn?? LOL

It is ALWAYS a good thing to find out WHO the profs are, and how they grade. Maybe you want to be challenged on some topics you want to learn in depth? But for those other courses, choose the easy.

Some courses can be offered as multiple choice testing, and others are papers-courses. You can choose what you're best at doing.

I hope that something I said here might help? ... or at least, I commiserated with you! LOL

posted October 31, 2016 08:02 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by mirage29:
.....
One observation I've heard (from older people, returning to college after having had college experience in their younger years), is that the material now is extremely "dumbed-down" and watered. The quality of the degree gained today did not seem as Valuable for gaining knowledge-- people with degrees might not have the same kind of "competence" that older people had?

Maybe the insistence (from students) that they don't really want to learn, and are 'only' there to pass the course is part the reason the degrees don't count as much towards competence (if observations I've heard are true).

---

hmmm.... I don't know there are variables.

It depends on the program and institution I've seen some serious mature engineering students fresh out of high school.

But...also self entitled Medical students of the same age.

The difference was the school they attended and the general mentality of the student culture.

I'm technically enrolled at two universities at the same time, I have permission from my home school to take equivalent or electives at a nearby university as a visiting student.

I can see the difference in both schools, I have a premise that there is a 50% likelihood that 30% of students in the lessor school will not be in class and instead will be recovering tomorrow after Halloween.

Here are things to note:

1) Its gotten more competitive and more jobs/careers are requiring degrees just for entrance even though they shouldn't require it.

I don't believe for a second someone should require a degree in palliative care to work at a retirement home.

So you'll get students who are perusing either college or university degrees who wouldn't be there a decade ago.

2) Its business, several questionable programs are run just for the sake of generating revenue. Women and Gender studies is an example of this.

People of questionable backgrounds and abilities are being accepted just to fill seats, again its being run as a business.

But, its more at the lesser established institutions such as community colleges that need every dollar.

3) Your Program matters, I'm in Software Engineering.
Probability figured. I apologize if I sound a little to harsh or brash.

Most of us are use to having all kinds of problems being dumped on us and expected to come up with all kinds of solutions.

Essentially you learn to figure out on your own, some programs require it more then others.

If your truly lost its great to have a resource or someone to turn to.

I know its not easy for this program or many others, I know several math majors that will be up pulling all nighters to solve problems and still get no where.

I commonly hear .... "I just wasted 8hrs of just pounding my head in the wall and still have nothing".

But... its 50% the professors fault the other 50% the student.

You'll get more enthusiastic professors that are passionate in what there doing in the more established and better ranked institutions.

That isn't to say community colleges aren't good. It just means the student will have to be more proactive on there own to make up the difference of having a poor instructor.

Off topic, I will probably be up for 24-hrs as I have another iteration to meet for a big coding project.

I say this because some programs force you to work harder then others.

But, I don't vent and wine, I knew that was inevitable.

====================================
Gemini Sun,
Capricorn Rising
Aries Moon
Gemini Mercury
Venus Taurus
Mars Cancer

posted November 01, 2016 12:28 AM            

I have seen what you spoke of in some students-- the mature engineering (or science) students.

That older student I mentioned was a higher-degreed nurse who was being shifted more towards hospital management. I think she supervised some of the younger nurslings fresh onto her fields. She spoke of her frustrations with the (lame) kinds of course she had to take.

quote 1) Its gotten more competitive and more jobs/careers are requiring degrees just for entrance even though they shouldn't require it.

I can see your point of view-- Again, I imagine that their first thought might be that this person has gone through a 'maturing' process, away from parental home, and had to have an amount of self-discipline to finish their courses.

I myself never finished my degrees (was working towards 2 separate BA's simultaneously, plus, could have qualified for an AA in another. Since both my degrees feel under the Humanities requirements, I concentrated on the two other columns (Sciences, then, I forgot what the 3rd was). I missed taking (what I called) a 'basket weaving' type of course from Humanities column, and still had to finish taking a Statistics course (dropped out of it, and when I tried to take it over, I didn't realize they were teaching a different formula for calculating chi-squares, and I was all balled up in my understanding. ... I'm a 'visual' person, and couldn't 'see' what this tried to prove. Now, there are great graphic that explain these quite clearly-- wasn't available when I was in college. I thought I'd get a mentor (then) to be coached on chi-squares, then challenge the exam, which I probably would have passed. Something major interrupted, and I never finished my degrees. It became too late to grandfather my credits too, later on (if I'm remembering the right term for it). Later on in my life, I had the opportunity to take education in what counted 'unofficially' as grad credits that could have been applied towards earning a MFCC degree (but without completion of my BA's, I didn't have that gathering-focusing spark that could take me all the way through that degree. ... I got the education, but with no end-papers.)
In the early 90s, I received a diploma (or certificate) for completing a year of (high quality) Bible School (towards ministry)... and overlapping before that, I had graduated (60 credits) from a major Modeling school (only local modeling then) a looonngggg time ago! (I had been in business with my ex1, and decided to go to modeling classes to learn grooming, poise, etc, at the time. -- I recommend it to anyone who has a job career path where you need to make an impression?)

By the way? That was BEFORE the age of computers, where you did all your research from card file referencing and cross-references. The index, footnotes, and bibliographies found in the backs of books studied had to be combed for ideas, and you'd go down rabbit trails to do your research ... (slurp!!! O God, I ~LOVED doing all that!!! I was good at it too.) When I visited my library decades later, I saw the computers.... You are able to do research in a matter of minutes, that used to take hours.

When I left the library that day I didn't know if I felt rage or depression.... All that time it used to take. -- But I had the 'pleasure' thrill and magic of handling all those old and big books (from late 1800s even!), and that perfume they gave off. *draws breath... remembers ~oh yeah*

quote: I don't believe for a second someone should require a degree in palliative care to work at a retirement home.

I think they do that to make sure that person understands what is needed? Plus, consider all that paper work (insurance and legal requirements) ... that would be my guess, anyways?

quote: So you'll get students who are pursuing(?) either college or university degrees who wouldn't be there a decade ago. and your comment 'questionable backgrounds'...

If they are not motivated and interesting students, I can see your point. I like lively participation and exchanges in the classroom myself, where it's appropriate.
Nothing more dead and boring like being in a room where no one else wants to be there... including! the teacher??? yes?? LOL

quote: 2) Its business, several questionable programs are run just for the sake of generating revenue. Women and Gender studies is an example of this.

During winterim semesters at our college, I took Women Studies courses. Actually, I found it fascinating... and got to create and perform my own canvass and interviews all over campus. The results of my survey were enlightening, and gave the prof and class good information. I really enjoyed it. I didn't 'only' learn women's issues, but explored with university students their own public opinions. Also, applied towards writing surveys.. I enjoyed those two classes. For me, I found Value in it! (Proof? is that I still remember it well today.... about 40 years later. It was good! ..

Humor!! --> Try It You'll Like It (commercial on TV, 1972) [0:30] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qdfMYFl0Ic

You sound fine to me.... Your software engineering job/education sounds demanding at times. (My ex1 was highest level programmer analyst, and finished his PhD in math later on. We had a business together, and I helped him with inputting data, and helping to put together pages and pages of steps of graphs. ... Loved it. He was stellium-Virgo, and my Moon was there. My Venus Taurus received trines. Too bad he had a side-life I never knew about in white-collar crime. tsk! The feds caught up with him, eventually.)

quote: I commonly hear .... "I just wasted 8 hrs of just pounding my head in the wall and still have nothing".

heh heh... They need the Muse of Inspiration! Invite her into those boring tasks or times of mental gridlock, someway. ... What do they say? 98% perspiration AND 2% Inspiration???? *grin*

Gotta figure out the way to 'play' IN your working and earning. LOL

I hope your iterations go well for you over these days.

I'm enjoying my trip down memory lane with all this. Will inspire me to take some courses, further my education, some time in the future. ... I enjoy learning very very much.

.... And You're right when you say that the Teacher makes a HUGE difference.

posted November 01, 2016 07:04 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by aquaguy91:
"One observation I've heard (from older people, returning to college after having had college experience in their younger years), is that the material now is extremely "dumbed-down" and watered. The quality of the degree gained today did not seem as Valuable for gaining knowledge-- people with degrees might not have the same kind of "competence" that older people had?"

I have heard the exact opposite. There are a number of older students at my school and they tell me that college is more challenging today than it used to be.

---

Its a variable. For some older people they either:

a) Never had the opportunity to persue a higher level education beyond high school.

b) Were unable because of personal commitments.

c) could never afford it.

Therfore they appreciate having the opportunity to attend now.

The older generation that comes back to school to start a new career after being laid off or for god knows what happen are the people that generally complain, they normally already have a degree in a diffrent field.

But at that age they should be persuing either a MSc, M. Eng or Phd.

@Aquaguy.

Its probably too late to get a refund, but in the future if you have any problems with other courses.

I suggest going to registration and seeing if you can get the equivalent course(s)
as a visting student at another school.

Half the time its the same content, but taught slightly diffrently at another school or a diffrent way of explaining things.

If this course kills your GPA, then maybe it might be worth droping it and taking it somewhere else if you have that option.

posted November 01, 2016 01:44 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by aquaguy91:
I have heard the exact opposite. There are a number of older students at my school and they tell me that college is more challenging today than it used to be.

---

I guess it depends on 'who' you call an older student now... I guess I would be called by some generations 'an ancient' instead of older???

All in good fun with sprinkled humor!

DualGemV2 ... Ah yes, I think what you're saying is true there, too.

OH!!! The Drop-Add and SETTING that *** ??? is SOOOO important.

Your first semester freshman year SETS the *** , and it is VERY difficult to move that number (up or down) from there.

I remember one of my first classes... the prof said look at the person on the left of you, then the right? THEY will not be here (college) at the end of this semester.

Many youths 'just breaking out' from under their parent/guardian's cover-authority will be attracted towards all the party-life available. IN your first semester, don't do it!!!.... That could reek some really bad results for you. You NEED to study, and get good grades to 'set' your *** .

I also recall there was a 'pattern' at the beginning of each new semester.... It can start off slow, and you think 'I got this'...? then ZOOM!!!! By that 3rd Week of Classes, you 'get' what the REAL pace of that class will be for the rest of the course. Beware the 3rd Week!!! hahaha

Start to 'dig in' to ANY research paper you're going to need to write, right away!, to test how much work and attention you'll need for completing it. Time management and prioritizing becomes critical... so you're not pulling unnecessary all-nighters, that affect the Quality of your work.

I'd say too-- It's wisdom to try to go to the instructor privately and find out 'in advance' what kind of paper they will require of you, AND the topic (if you can wurm that out of them). Sometimes if you explain that you have a heavy writing(paper) load, some will show you some mercy.

Of course, again, I was working within Humanities Departments (not science or engineering). When the Dean of the College (at that University) found out eventually what happened to me (my two advisors did not 'coordinate' my degrees), they became more aware of persons working towards two separate degrees. In the future, they made sure that the same mistake wasn't repeated with any more students.

Actually too, I began as a psych major, and "accidently" added music?? would you believe? ... I wanted to take a music elective. They required I take a proficiency test before signing up. I passed the test, got into the class. I was at the registration table in that department at the start of classes--- and a professor came up to me and said, "Oh! I see you made the list!" .. I had been known there because of auditioning and being accepted in special choral ensembles. I said to him, "What list?" He said quizzically, "The Music Major's List..." Then, "You DID want to become a Music Major, didn't you?" ....
It was like the world stopped in that moment... I was STUNNED. It WAS something that I secretly desired but didn't think I had enough talent to do. I responded brightly, "Of course!" ... then immediately walked out of the building to absorb what (joy and marvel) had JUST happened to me.

The department was "picky" about their choice of students. Apparently, I had taken the test for becoming a Major, and was selected.... They accepted 20 students from the 200 who had auditioned. ....

I "choke" at tests! "Test Anxiety" LOL.

A few professors commented to me that they couldn't understand how I could be 'the' top student who got answers to the toughest problems IN the classroom, when other students couldn't, but would bomb the easy questions on the actual test later.

IF I had KNOWN I was taking that test to BECOME a Major, I probably couldn't Or wouldn't have done it!! ROFLMAO

So yes yes yes.... SET that *** High-- Even if you do it taking the EASIEST courses you can find, and with the leniest graders IN that department.

posted November 01, 2016 01:48 PM            

The auto-astericker bot took the short word for Cumulative, and turned it into a sex-term!!! LMAO ....

posted November 01, 2016 08:51 PM            

One person who went to college in the 1960s and 70s shared about how an instructor complained the students in the Soviet Union were doing so much better. She wisely didn't ask him how he knew that, or saying that maybe the Soviets had better teachers.

She also edited some college journals, and found what even those in the hard sciences published (that includes professors) were word salad (she diagrammed the sentences to make sure, and felt she was doing a terrible job until the other editors told her not to worry about it and just fix the misspellings and such), but everyone pretended to know what was being said.

posted November 03, 2016 01:04 AM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by PixieJane:
I wonder if it's harder today because it's not so easy to buy fake essays and such (since most colleges run them through a computer now looking for duplicates).

---

There are lots of sites such as:

notebro, oneclass and many others

I personally don't do much essay writing, just small lab reports, diffrent major.

But...its helpfull the consequecnce is you'll get engineers and even mathematicians that process logic and math skills but poor communication skills.

Its good to have an equal balance. The smartest guy I know was a double major in Computer Science and Philosophy.

He could write just as well as he could do the math.