Dear Professor Temple,
When I ordered the course textbook they sent me a different version of the book instead of the normal book. The difference is the first 10 chapters aren't in the version I have. Is there any way you could send me those chapters maybe in a PDF?
Sincerely,
Inattention-To-Detail Ian
[+]
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, kid, you crack me up.
Yeah, I’m going to scan HUNDREDS of pages from my hard copy of the textbook, organize them into an electronic document and send them to you. Even though doing so would be an outrageous copyright infringement. All because “they” sent you the “wrong” book. Right. There’s no way that you found a cheap, used copy of the book online somewhere and didn’t check carefully to make sure it was the right book?
Hmmmm? No possible way?
- Surly Temple
There should be a "textbooks" label on this, too, since so many of my students over the past couple of years seem disinclined to buy books, or at least the right books.
ReplyDeleteI've had these "copy for me, please, proffie" requests, sometimes - like the one above - for hundreds of pages.
I was going to send this in but it wasn't bad enough on its own. I share it here for your commiseratory pleasure:
ReplyDeleteDear Professor [Name Misspelled],
I can't believe I forgot to take the quiz again. My mom came this weekend and we spent all day, after my classes ended, shopping for her wedding dress and getting new cell phones. I don't know if there is a way that I could take the quiz again, but I dont want to have any special treatment if it is not fair to other people in the class. Sorry!
*She HAS internalized my regular admonishments that I have to be fair. So, um, that's something...
*delete*
ReplyDeleteUgh, and mine today: "I'm going to be missing 2 weeks of (a discussion-based) class right at the beginning because I'm going to a family reunion. Is that OK?"
ReplyDeleteA two-week family reunion? I think not.
F&T, what is the appropriate response to that? To me, two-week family reunion is code for "extended family vacation." Is spending time with family important? Yes. Is missing two weeks of class a problem? Yes.
ReplyDeleteAt my university, there are lots of students who are unable (or refuse) to purchase textbooks until all their aid money is dispersed which somehow seems to take until week four of the semester (did they apply late?). I generally try to keep the books at or below $100 for the course, and I even tell them in which order to purchase said books (usually $15-25 each) so they can spread out the purchasing. But still...requests for extensions, photocopies, etc. No one used to go to such lengths for me when I was in school; I'm starting to resent having to do it for them.
Re: emails/conversations that start "I'm going to miss class because [non-emergency or illness related reason]" and finish "Is that OK?"
ReplyDeleteI respond with "Well, that's your choice to make. You're an adult." That way I'm neither validating nor invalidating their choice, but I am indicating there may be consequences they don't like. What they really want is absolution; they want me to say, "Oh, that's OK that you're missing class. It won't count against you." But I prefer to put the onus back on them.
@Surly Temple
ReplyDeleteWrite this to Ian:
You are the King of the Idiots, please move to Chelm.
After much thought, I responded to mine with "I suggest you try using the alarm on your new phone to set reminders for you to take future quizzes."
ReplyDeleteWe have access to many books online at our university so that the snowflakes don't have to buy books. Now I get disgruntled emails about "you said page x but online there are no page numbers". This infuriates me. Then go to the f-ing index you moron, or can you not figure that out either? That's what I did to come up with page x in the first place... And somehow this person is supposed to function in their field. Really???
ReplyDelete