Final Exams
Published on May 5, 2008 at 2:39 pm.
4 Comments.
Filed under college teaching.
It is now final exams week here at my college. The students and faculty are both stressed. There are mountains of papers to grade. And, of course there are the students who are trying unsuccessfully to turn in an entire semester’s worth of work today, as if all I had to do was to grade only their work tonight. I have well designated due dates, but there are always students who feel that the rules don’t apply to them. And, I have my own deadlines here to turn in things.
And finals are rough on even the good students who keep up. This week, they have exams in all of their classes. I was there, so I know what it is like for them. This is the time of the semester when faculty have to council students who are at their wits end. Some simply don’t handle the stress well.
But, it is nearly over, now. Grades are due at the end of the week. Then, there is a short break, and then the summer term starts.
So, you will have to excuse the lack of posting here. As usual, I am totally swamped the last couple of weeks of the semester. But, of course, I am used to it, since I’ve been in this position for over half of my life. That still doesn’t make it fu, though!
-Astroprof
Aurimas on May 5, 2008 at 4:35 pm: 1
And I’m one of those students. But my semester ends in one moth and theres another month for exams.
I kinda haven’t done any work now. But I wish I’ll make it during these two lasts months.
Ed Minchau on May 5, 2008 at 8:06 pm: 2
“…turn in an entire semester’s worth of work today…”
This is easily solved. Tell them, “OK, here, I’ll mark it right now for you”. Then go through each assignment and mark it an F without even bothering to look at the work done, and had it back to them. “There you go, have a good summer!”
Seeking Solace on May 6, 2008 at 7:41 am: 3
It’s never easy. Well, hang in there.
Astroprof on May 6, 2008 at 9:35 am: 4
Ed, I don’t take all that late work. The late policy is defined in the course syllabus. Still, they seem to think that the rules apply to everyone but them. Sometimes I will grade something in front of them, only taking off 20 points per day that it is late, and I don’t stop taking points off just because I reach zero. So, they get a negative grade on the first one that I grade. They quickly retrieve the rest of the work when they realize that I am serious about entering a negative number in my grade spreadsheet.