4 ms·

No, the students are indeed hypersensitive and they (and you) have a grossly distorted perception of the impact of objectively minor setbacks. Getting a C on a

No, the students are indeed hypersensitive and they (and you) have a grossly distorted perception of the impact of objectively minor setbacks. Getting a C on a paper won't ruin anyone's life, nor for that matter would failing an entire course (which is basically impossible to do these days anyway, unless you willfully refuse to even try). Such academic hiccups are not catastrophic and the proper response is not for a student to raise holy hell about how unfair the world is and how the professor smells bad and how they should totally be given a special exemption to re-do things until they get the grade they desire. Failure should be received as a signal that a student needs to work harder or change something in the way they're approaching their education. Nothing more. (And obviously the state of the economy has nothing to do with why a grown adult would feel the need to seek counseling because someone called them a bad name or they saw a mouse.)

Futurebot 11y ago
I'm definitely not addressing people scared of mice or bad words, those things may well be explained by helicoptering as I stated in my first sentence; I am addressing "hypersensitivity" to bad grades, which I think is rational.
overgryphon 11y ago
Failing a class often has devastating consequences in college. Scholarship programs generally have strict GPA requirements, and once lost cannot be regained. Nursing programs are particularly harsh. Failing a class by a percentage point may trigger the student needing to retake an entire year's worth of classes, regardless of the grades received in the other courses. The cost of an additional full year of tuition is not a hiccup.
cgearhart 11y ago
> Getting a C...is basically impossible to do these days anyway... Depends where you go. A great many respectable schools can be brutal depending on your major. I had an undergrad class that had a 50% failure/drop rate, and I've had two graduate courses with 50-60% failure/drop rates. >the proper response is not for a student to raise holy hell about how unfair the world is and how the professor smells bad and how they should totally be given a special exemption to re-do things until they get the grade they desire It's very interesting that this comes up so often with regard to Millenials. I'm a Millenial, and have been a TA in graduate courses targeted at working professionals. I have never seen anyone argue like these folks do. (Average age is late-30's to mid-40's.) Here's a sample exchange: "I have been developing software longer than you've been alive! Your tests must be wrong - there is absolutely no way that my code failed." Sorry, but everyone else seemed to pass just fine. Look, the bug is right there in your code. "Well, that's not fair! You didn't include that edge case in the problem statement, and my solution works fine for everything else. Besides, I only need to add a two-line `if` statement to handle it, so give me half credit." (Aside, I am stunned by how often I'm _told_ how to grade by Boomers & Xers.) You were already given partial credit; your final grade is consistent with the grading guidelines for the assignment. "Well, are you going to curve at least? My employer won't reimburse if I don't get at least a B." The grading criteria are covered in the course syllabus. Don't get me wrong - Millenials are a pain in the neck, too. But fragile egos, demanding personalities, and pouting over poor marks are not unique to the young.

Futurebot 11y ago

I'm definitely not addressing people scared of mice or bad words, those things may well be explained by helicoptering as I stated in my first sentence; I am addressing "hypersensitivity" to bad grades, which I think is rational.

overgryphon 11y ago

Failing a class often has devastating consequences in college. Scholarship programs generally have strict GPA requirements, and once lost cannot be regained. Nursing programs are particularly harsh. Failing a class by a percentage point may trigger the student needing to retake an entire year's worth of classes, regardless of the grades received in the other courses. The cost of an additional full year of tuition is not a hiccup.

cgearhart 11y ago

> Getting a C...is basically impossible to do these days anyway... Depends where you go. A great many respectable schools can be brutal depending on your major. I had an undergrad class that had a 50% failure/drop rate, and I've had two graduate courses with 50-60% failure/drop rates. >the proper response is not for a student to raise holy hell about how unfair the world is and how the professor smells bad and how they should totally be given a special exemption to re-do things until they get the grade they desire It's very interesting that this comes up so often with regard to Millenials. I'm a Millenial, and have been a TA in graduate courses targeted at working professionals. I have never seen anyone argue like these folks do. (Average age is late-30's to mid-40's.) Here's a sample exchange: "I have been developing software longer than you've been alive! Your tests must be wrong - there is absolutely no way that my code failed." Sorry, but everyone else seemed to pass just fine. Look, the bug is right there in your code. "Well, that's not fair! You didn't include that edge case in the problem statement, and my solution works fine for everything else. Besides, I only need to add a two-line `if` statement to handle it, so give me half credit." (Aside, I am stunned by how often I'm _told_ how to grade by Boomers & Xers.) You were already given partial credit; your final grade is consistent with the grading guidelines for the assignment. "Well, are you going to curve at least? My employer won't reimburse if I don't get at least a B." The grading criteria are covered in the course syllabus. Don't get me wrong - Millenials are a pain in the neck, too. But fragile egos, demanding personalities, and pouting over poor marks are not unique to the young.