|
ptarmigan
|
 |
« Reply #11565 on: March 13, 2010, 03:03:31 PM » |
|
I got an email Friday night at 9:50pm asking me to write a letter of rec due Monday. And this is not an internal letter, but rather one that has to be sent through the post.
Did this student think I was going to spend all morning writing this letter, running to the post office, and sending it one-day priority mail? Sigh. The sad thing is, I like this student. This is just a little too disorganized for me.
If it's for a grad school application, they don't usually seem to care if the letters are late. The student may know this. I'm not trying to excuse the disorganization or rudeness of the late request, just saying, it's probably still helpful if you do it at your leisure. It's not that. It's that the student just drops it in your lap a couple of days (or sometimes mere hours) before the deadline. Yes, it shouldn't take all that long to write; yes, in some cases (but not all) letters can arrive after the official deadline. It's the assumption that we will drop everything else to get this done. Oh, I totally get that, and was very careful not to put my professors in that position when I applied for grad school last semester. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
phlegmatic
|
|
« Reply #11566 on: March 13, 2010, 03:43:44 PM » |
|
I got an email Friday night at 9:50pm asking me to write a letter of rec due Monday. And this is not an internal letter, but rather one that has to be sent through the post.
Did this student think I was going to spend all morning writing this letter, running to the post office, and sending it one-day priority mail? Sigh. The sad thing is, I like this student. This is just a little too disorganized for me.
If it's for a grad school application, they don't usually seem to care if the letters are late. The student may know this. I'm not trying to excuse the disorganization or rudeness of the late request, just saying, it's probably still helpful if you do it at your leisure. It's not that. It's that the student just drops it in your lap a couple of days (or sometimes mere hours) before the deadline. Yes, it shouldn't take all that long to write; yes, in some cases (but not all) letters can arrive after the official deadline. It's the assumption that we will drop everything else to get this done. Oh, I totally get that, and was very careful not to put my professors in that position when I applied for grad school last semester. It wasn't for grad school, but rather for an undergrad transfer. I didn't even realize those required letters. Anyway, I wrote the student back and said that the letter *may* get postmarked by Monday, but it certainly won't arrive by Monday. No response. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
llanfair
Village idiot and Very
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 22,200
Whither Canada?
|
|
« Reply #11567 on: March 13, 2010, 08:58:03 PM » |
|
... when I applied for grad school last semester.
I'm happy to hear that you're being sucked in coming to the dark side joining us in academe, Ptarmigan. You're just the sort we need! |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Because, you know, that stuff on the syllabus is like, in writing, and there are so many ways you can, like, read that, but when the guys who sit by you in class, like, you know, must know what's really going on, right? -- AmLitHist, channelling student
|
|
|
|
ptarmigan
|
|
« Reply #11568 on: March 13, 2010, 09:12:49 PM » |
|
... when I applied for grad school last semester.
I'm happy to hear that you're being sucked in coming to the dark side joining us in academe, Ptarmigan. You're just the sort we need! Hey, thanks! We'll see if I can really get my butt in gear and make it work. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
conjugate
Compulsive punster and insatiable reader, and
Member-Moderator
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 16,690
Tends to have warped sense of humor
|
|
« Reply #11569 on: March 13, 2010, 09:21:06 PM » |
|
... when I applied for grad school last semester.
I'm happy to hear that you're being sucked in coming to the dark side joining us in academe, Ptarmigan. You're just the sort we need! Hey, thanks! We'll see if I can really get my butt in gear and make it work. We've assimilated another one! MWA-ha-ha-haa! On-topically, I got this: Dr. <Conjugate>,
I won't be making it to <class> at 3pm today. I woke up with the stomach virus and my mom called the doctor and they told her to just continue to give me phenergan and let the virus run it's course. please let me know what we're doing in class today.
thanks, <name in lower case> On the one hand, I am deeply suspicious of a stomach virus that hits the day before Spring Break. On the other hand, I know that I myself got sick just in time to spoil some extended vacations, so I am mingling my cynicism with sympathy. Who knows whether it might not be true? |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Unfortunately, I think conjugate gives good advice.
∀ε>0∃δ>0∋|x–a|<δ⇒|ƒ(x)-ƒ(a)|<ε |
|
|
|
luvstowrite
|
|
« Reply #11570 on: March 14, 2010, 01:10:35 AM » |
|
I got an email Friday night at 9:50pm asking me to write a letter of rec due Monday. And this is not an internal letter, but rather one that has to be sent through the post.
Did this student think I was going to spend all morning writing this letter, running to the post office, and sending it one-day priority mail? Sigh. The sad thing is, I like this student. This is just a little too disorganized for me.
If it's for a grad school application, they don't usually seem to care if the letters are late. The student may know this. I'm not trying to excuse the disorganization or rudeness of the late request, just saying, it's probably still helpful if you do it at your leisure. It's not that. It's that the student just drops it in your lap a couple of days (or sometimes mere hours) before the deadline. Yes, it shouldn't take all that long to write; yes, in some cases (but not all) letters can arrive after the official deadline. It's the assumption that we will drop everything else to get this done. Oh, I totally get that, and was very careful not to put my professors in that position when I applied for grad school last semester. It wasn't for grad school, but rather for an undergrad transfer. I didn't even realize those required letters. Anyway, I wrote the student back and said that the letter *may* get postmarked by Monday, but it certainly won't arrive by Monday. No response. Are you me? After writing a letter for a similar flakey yet potential grad student that just "had to be due today", I never even got a thank you. So today when I received the "can you email me a copy so I can send it to XYZ scholarship committee..." I never even emailed back. Sorry, we're on spring break flake. Hey, I made a rhyme. Spring break flake, that's what I'm going to be this week. I like it. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
"If you want to make enemies, try to change something." -- Woodrow Wilson
|
|
|
muddyknees9
New member
Posts: 16
|
|
« Reply #11571 on: March 14, 2010, 08:15:42 AM » |
|
Hi - newbie here (I have loads of weird emails to share).
Message from me to group about weather situation in advance of recent field trip:
Dear group
We are monitoring the weather situation but the trip will be going ahead today as planned unless the situation gets worse - in which case we will email you again. Obviously if you have to travel into <campus name> - please do so safely - staff have made it in to the department this morning from all quarters of the countryside! The main roads are clear and the weather is due to clear up later - wrap up warm and have good footwear!
muddyknees9
rambling, quite frankly scary reply from mature entitled student:
Hi <muddyknees9>
<spouse who is also on the course> phoned the department between 9 & 10 and left two messages for someone to contact her one her third call the person she spoke to tried to contact someone but was unable to located anyone. At 10am we had black sky, 50 mm of snow, a hard frost and the TV news/weather for <general filed trip area> said don't travel maybe more snow. By 11am it had started to snow again, <spouse> phoned the dept again and was told you had gone as arranged. The recent cutbacks in departmental office staff do not facilitate efficient communication.
We live at the back of <small village> @ 230 meters up in a north facing valley, over Christmas and the new year we were snowed in for a month with only one break when we got out for a day. We only just made it back and had to abandon the car <spouse> was driving two miles from home (we took two cars out to do more things). Every road accessing our property involves a hill, none of which are gritted by the council (a new money saving policy).
Over the New year spell <spouse> managed an emergency visit to <town> to get essential supplies and prescription medicines by taking a 4 mile trip on the back of a neighbours tractor to meet <helpful other student> at <nearby village>, who took her to <town> and back, then another 4 mile tractor ride to get back home.
We both have disabilities which make it inadvisable to risk travel in bad weather and being stranded. The prospect of leaving the property and being unable to get back home to look after our animals is a constant concern when it snows, and the roads becoming impassable due to the recent change in council policy.
<spouse> has subsequently received an email from you suggesting that we should have been able to get to ... by 11am without any problem. At 11am I was checking that the heater next to the water pump was working to avoid being without water for 2 weeks, which was what happened over the two weeks from new year when we left te property for just one day. The prospect of being stranded at home in <country>, in the middle of arranging my mothers funeral in <town 200 miles away>, and the logistics of attending it, also effected the decision process. I have to make a judgement every time we leave home in cold weather, one of the few negative aspects of living is such a fantastic location and keeping farm animals.
By mid afternoon it warmed up and the road had cleared but the weather forecast for <town> was 2°C and rain with NW winds (the road we use behind us goes up to 300 meters) - translates to maybe snow - Sat Day weather. Sunny with light snow forecast - translates to definitely snow.
<spouse> is very upset that she has missed the visit as she was looking forward to it.
As part of our formal disabled student evaluation the use of special transport in the event of us not being able make the trip to <town> using our own car, has been granted. During time we were cut off over Christmas I investigated the logistics of a suitable "taxi" for term time. The only practical option was a 4x4 with a heavy winch. Dog sledge or helicopter being ruled out on obvious grounds.
I feel that the apparent negative response to our predicament is placing an undue strain on <spouse’s> fragile mental state (one of her formally recognised disabilities) which in turn is placing an undue strain on me, especially during the days following the death of my mother.
Be assured that my number one priority is to facilitate <spouse> achieving her full potential at <Uni> my own aspirations are secondary and under review subject to the unforeseen consequences of us both studying at 95% of a full time course and the resultant pressure.
I have NO complaint with regard to any aspect of this module or the logistics of off campus trips and fully recognise the huge strain of taking 100 or so kids on a day out, especially when some of those kids are grey haired and very set in their ways. I only ask that you take it on face value when I say, "I have a problem" or "I am stressed". I do not have a hidden agenda.
entitled mature student
WTF?
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 04:03:16 PM by moderator »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
ellaminnow
|
|
« Reply #11572 on: March 14, 2010, 09:00:02 AM » |
|
Wow. Really? Wow.
Let me see if I get this straight as I try to weed out the details. Mature Entitled Student's excuses are as follows:
1. departmental office staff (for not facilitating the solutions to M.E.S.'s life problems)
2. Town council (for not sanding the roads)
3. The recession
4. Traveling to town involves crampons, ropes, and carabiners.
5. Animals need care.
6. Water heater needs care.
7. Snow freaks out M.E.S.
8. M.E.S. doesn't have a dog sled or a helicopter.
9. Spouse's mental state is "fragile"
10. M.E.S.'s mental state is strained
11. Spouse's academic aspirations have priority.
12. M.E.S. can only contribute 95% to this course.
Holy garbanzo beans, batman! It's wacky time!
If it were my student, I can only imagine one response: <DELETE>
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
Some people wear their heart up on their sleeve. I wear mine underneath my right pant leg, strapped to my boot.
~Ani DiFranco
|
|
|
|
onion
|
|
« Reply #11573 on: March 14, 2010, 09:38:01 AM » |
|
Hi Muddyknees, and welcome. I was trying to come up with a smart-ass reply to MES, which would say something like "I've forwarded your message to the Weather Gods..." and then I got distracted, wondering "who were the weather gods?" So I started googling, and found this delightful and wacky page, which maybe the only answer to MES. http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-c023.html God apparently does not want MES and Spouse to attend field trip. Sorry, beyond our control. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
grasshopper
|
|
« Reply #11574 on: March 14, 2010, 10:06:06 AM » |
|
I'm left wondering why MES is so defensive. Okay, they have legitimate reasons for not being able to attend the field trip. Fine. If I had to choose between a dog sled and staying home, I'd probably stay home, too. Realistically, if 50 mm of snow is uncommon in the area, and the municipality isn't clearing the roads, they're probably not the only ones missing the outing.
He's probably not dealing well with any kind of stress following his mother's recent death. You know how at times like that, even the smallest, most meaningless problems - like missing a field trip - can seem gigantic. Because really, this is no big deal.
Or maybe I'm just used to living in the Great White North, where weather impedes plans all the time, and you just sort of deal with it.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
kedves
|
|
« Reply #11575 on: March 14, 2010, 10:17:23 AM » |
|
My interpretation of that email would be that the student wants you to understand that he's not a shirker, and, as Grasshopper says, is under a tremendous amount of stress. He might have no one to talk to other than his wife and does not want to burden her or make things worse for her. Much of it is not written to you, really; an email to you is just an opportunity to write it down and express what he's going through.
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
muddyknees9
New member
Posts: 16
|
|
« Reply #11576 on: March 14, 2010, 10:53:56 AM » |
|
Where do I get to write stuff down to offload (oh...hang on...)
seriously though - this student is a major pain in the A@@ - he's stressed out? - ha ha ha!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
kedves
|
|
« Reply #11577 on: March 14, 2010, 10:55:08 AM » |
|
seriously though - this student is a major pain in the A@@ - he's stressed out? - ha ha ha!
They often go together. |
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
magistra
|
|
« Reply #11578 on: March 14, 2010, 02:19:32 PM » |
|
I do love it when people live waaaaaay out, then use that as an excuse for inability to get places. Why live out in the boonies if you don't have a proper vehicle, have disabilities, etc.? Why blame everyone else for it?
He probably does just want to vent, and doesn't want penalties applied for missing the trip. I'd be vaguely sympathetic, brief, and follow the stated policies. I doubt I'd penalize them, though, even if appropriate, just because they'd be sure to get disability services involved and no-one wants that!
|
|
|
|
|
Logged
|
First it was Wolfram and Hart, now it's Blackboard. There's not much moral difference, if you ask me. -- Malcha
Grammar is the chocolate in the buttery croissant of life. -- Yellowtractor
Okay, so that was petty. Today, I feel like embracing pettiness. -- Mended Drum
|
|
|
muddyknees9
New member
Posts: 16
|
|
« Reply #11579 on: March 14, 2010, 02:29:08 PM » |
|
yeah - I agree, but why vent? A simple 'sorry, I was snowed in' would've sufficed.
Anyway this just in - a reply to failing student that his dissertation (10,000 words) is due on 19th March:
Hello,
I thought that it was mean to be in on 19th of May I'm spend all the time I can working on it at the moment and think it going ok I'm seeing <student support worker - spelt wrong> about it later on to day. If I send you a copy Sunday evening could I see you about it on Tuseday. All so I need to tark about my work placement modual.
Hi,
11:30 would be fine but I have to leave at 11:45 to accomaney <girlfriend - also failing and has suspected awful disease in unmentionable part of the body but who's doctor has actually scheduled tests for in 6 weeks time so why are they going on Tuesday and how worried does he sound?> to the Hopistial
Obviously gonna fail but no way I'm sending hu out for a work placement - guess I'll find him departmental bin-emptying duties?
|
|
|
|
« Last Edit: March 14, 2010, 04:05:49 PM by moderator »
|
Logged
|
|
|
|
|
