(no subject)

[elizalavelle]

I have a huge essay to write for tomorrows Lit Crit class.. and I just can't bring myself to care. The prof (Gerry) is such a jerk I know that what I write is not what I'll be graded on so it doesn't matter so much. Also because it's a review there's a slightly different MLA format and there are two ways of citing your sources.... but he will not say which he wants. Although he'll take off marks if you do it wrong he won't say which way is the right way.... I think he likes to have a reason to take marks off. This in my mind is not teaching, it's just proving that you're smarter than someone else. Well of course he's smarter than the students, that's why he's the prof and we're the students. Of course it's not like he's taught us much this term, we've taught ourselves mostly out of a textbook.

We also had a lecture in American Lit class (and since it's the same prof we'll probably hear the same thing in Contemporary Drama) about attendance and her "conversation mark" and how if you get 70's in everything else from the class but you either miss more than 20% of the classes OR do not participate enough, you will end up with a 58% in the course. I am not impressed. I honestly feel that because I am in University I should not need to have my attendance charted. If I can attend class as little as I want BUT still get decent grades then obviously I didnt miss very much in the classes I was not in. And I'm still missing the first week back in Jan to be in NYC (Ava I have your money order just have to buy envelopes and it'll be on it's way!) and that's going to happen no matter what threats are held over my head about attendance and grades.

Comments

[avathebrat.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you that attendance policies in college are really stupid. My college had a school-wide attendance policy that all the profs were stupposed to enforce in their classes... some were sticklers about it & took attendance every class, some thought it was the dumbest thing ever and told us as much. Some of my profs didn't take attendance, but they did mark you on your participation and you can't very well participate if you aren't there.

My feeling on the whole thing is, once you are in college you are (technically) an adult. And if you want to skip class & waste your or your parent's money, that should be your problem and not the prof's. I had a few profs who said point blank that they didn't care whether or not you showed up, but if you didn't you would not know the work and therefore not be able to pass. That kind of goes along with what is and is not a good class... a prof who pretty much reads from the book for 2 hours is not good and I wouldn't want to waste my time going to that class. A prof who teaches beyond the book (and therefore you need to be there to get it) is good.