Unfriendly professors

[STG]

I started Capstone I in the beginning of the Spring Semester in January. It consists of 4 topics: Marxism,Technology, Affect and Imperialism. My first paper was due 2 weeks and the 2nd is due next Tuesday. I told the professor the first day of class that I will be overseas for the month of April and that I won't be in school on the day the 4th paper is due so he told me I should hand it in early. Last week I figured I might as well get a head start by writing up the 3rd essay so that I can have more time for the 4th one, since I have to hand it in early. I finished writing up the 2nd and 3rd essay last week. Each was 7 pages (the professor requires between 3 and 5 pages minimum). I spoke to my friend a few days ago and she told me that the professor mentioned not to start the 3rd essay because he wants to change the readings and assignment... I emailed the professor telling him what happened and I asked him if I can give in the paper I did, even though he wants to change the readings. He just answered back saying that if I did my paper, it's worthless... I tried explaining to him that the only reason I did it early is because I'm going away and need to hand in my 4th paper earlier...but he doesn't care... What should I do? Should I just suck it up or try talking to him again...? I'm just so annoyed at him...

[TheCommuter]

Sometimes the type of approach can make all the difference. It is difficult to convey emotions, nonverbal body language, and other indicators through emails, so I would attempt to see this professor during office hours (I'm assuming he has office hours). Perhaps he'd be more understanding of your situation and he might be less abrupt if you met with him in person.

[MA2]

If I were him, I would say too bad as well, you signed up for the class, and I'm not going to make special circumstances for you, because then everyone is going to want one. The assignments he gives out can and will change, for whatever reason he thought the class needed to learn more about whatever topic he switched to, so you need to complete that one.

Most students these days are spoiled whiney idiots and think they're special and the rules don't apply to them (not that I'm saying you fall in to this category) so it's no wonder so many teachers and professors are so irritable and hard to work with sometimes. I certainly would not fault you for trying to talk to him, I would probably do the same thing if I were in your shoes.

Knowing the responsibilies you have as a student, you still chose to sign up, even though (I'm assuming) you also knew you would be going out of the country during class. So if I were him I would say "not my problem."

Maybe next time you know you'll be leaving the area you can approach the teacher first and say something like "sir/m'am I will be leaving the country on (date) and I wanted to make sure the paper due on (date) is still correct so I can begin working on it earlier." You mentioned that you talked to him about the second paper, but didn't say anything to the professor about the 3rd paper. Maybe clearing it with him ahead of time would have saved you the trouble.

[STG]

TheCommuter- Thanks! I'll talk to him next Tuesday when I have class.

MA2- I think it's about time someone mentions this to you: instead of starting off saying something offensive, just get to the point (in general, not specifically about this post)

The professor made a syllabus in the beginning of the semester and handed it out on the first day of class and read through it with us. This means he did not think of changing it until 2 weeks ago... I don't think it's fair to change it in middle of the semester. There are many students in the class so the professor divided us up. Some have him Monday, I have him Tuesday and other students have him Wednesday nights. The professor mentioned to the Monday students 2 weeks ago about the change, but didn't mention it to the other classes. When I spoke to my friend about what happened, she told me she didn't either know about the change - she's also in the Tuesday class so it seems like the professor only mentioned it to the Monday class.

[MA2]

If you honestly think anything I say is "offensive," I must say that I am quite jealous of your obviously sheltered and easy going civilian lifestyle. There's a difference between "offensive" (like calling someone a big moron) and just being brutally honest... (maybe I threw a bit of each in there this time )

You said "and I don't think it's fair to change it in the middle of the semester." .... well guess what, "princess," life isn't fair.

Does it suck that you did that paper for nothing? Yes.

Can you do anything about it besides suck it up and go with the flow? Probably not... but I don't think it would hurt to try.

I suppose in the real world if you spend weeks planning a mission to raid a certain drug house or hit a suspected terrorist stronghold, and the boss calls down and says "the bad guys moved areas, we'll hit at this new location tomorrow," we can be upset all we want at the wasted time, or we can push thorugh and get the job done. In this case, the "job" is your class/degree.

Have a nice day

[FinancialWorld]

Edit:

@Prettyprincess
I've only taken one online course so far and the professor pretty much went exactly by the schedule. Like Commuter said, you should try actually talking to the professor, and telling him your situation (never plead, this is not a hostage situation ). Writing is probably my most hated task, and I'm sure I would be very angry after having done all that work, but the professor is still in charge.

Good luck, and I hope everything works out.

[Potatoloco]

Trying to stay on topic and ignore the comparision of turning in an essay to raiding a house.......

I'd say you got screwed and I'd be annoyed and quite frankly pissed if I were in your shoes. Seems like the professor has failed the students in this instance since you indicated that he didn't even notify all the classes. So that's a lack of communication on his part, nothing wrong on your part.

Obviously you were aware of being gone for that month, but made that known the first day of class and thought you had fixed the possible conflict. I imagine if the professor orginally wouldn't have let you turn the paper in early you would've found an alternate solution.

The best course of action you can really do at this time is simply speak to him again. Find out if he remembers your conversation from day 1. If he doesn't want to honor the verbal agreement you two made, then find out if other arrangements can me made.

[cookderosa]

My opinion comes from 19 years as a CC instructor. I'll say it carefully (lol) but students generally have a tendency to not follow the syllabus or instructions that I've laid out, and then ask *me to make the exception.
How often? 1 out of 3 at least. Every class, every semester. Amazing? Yes, but true. Annoying as heck. I can't wait to hear the parade of whine that comes in with each new incomplete assignment. (I didn't feel this way my first 10 years of teaching- but it gets oldl)

If I were you, I'd go edit your 3rd paper. Don't "re-write" it, just edit it. Go add in these new sources, and fluff it up so it meets the new requirement. Give it a new title. Don't go in a new direction, just spend a couple of hours making it hit these new points. Look carefully at the point distribution for the new assignment, go for high-yield points, let go the ones that won't matter too much. I hope you hadn't already turned it in- if you did, disregard my suggestion, cuz you're in for a total rewrite. He certainly won't accept the same paper twice.

My suggestion for next time/how to avoid this in the future. When you have permission to turn in paper 4 early, don't do paper 3 early- do 4 early. Write them out of order (1,2,4,3) being sure that you finished the sequence before paper 3 is REALLY due- because writing them out of order does not allow you to reconfigure the teacher's due dates, but, you'll be golden. My money also says, that if he had changed the criteria for 4, he'd have let you slide since you already had an agreement ahead of time. There was no agreement with this assignment. I think your teacher is being fair considering this is the 2nd exception you've asked for.

[cookderosa]

If you honestly think anything I say is "offensive," I must say that I am quite jealous of your obviously sheltered and easy going civilian lifestyle. There's a difference between "offensive" (like calling someone a big moron) and just being brutally honest... (maybe I threw a bit of each in there this time )

Really MA2? Really? Huh, and you called me offensive last week for suggesting you attend Harvard!

[FinancialWorld]

[QUOTE=Potatoloco]Trying to stay on topic and ignore the comparision of turning in an essay to raiding a house.......

LOL that's great.