The semester is looming. I can hear it breathing right over my shoulder, and I am just not ready. Too many classes, too many students, not enough summer, not enough money. I just can't seem to dredge up any enthusiasm this year. And then today, I received THREE emails from Joe Student*. Apparently he
is a student in my course. I know this because, at 11:31 I received
this email:Subject: books
"Hi this is Joe Student and i was just wondering what book(s) i will need for your course. thank you!"
It was sent to me and three other instructors from fatty32008@[emailaccount].com.
Then, at 11:53, I received this email, sent only to me, from fatty32008@[emailaccount].com:
Subject: books
"Hi this is Joe Student and i was just wondering what book(s) i will need for your course. thank you!"
If it bears a strange resemblance to the first one, don't be confused. Because it is EXACTLY the same. Now, if the term still has the same meaning it did when I was in college, perhaps the 32,008 "fatties" made him forget he sent it already. Of course, I could just be really old and no longer hip with the lingo, in which case he is just proud of his girth and happens to be concerned that a single email is not sufficient to get his professors' attention.
THEN, at 1:06 pm, I received this email, from his school email account:
Subject: books
"Hi this is Joe Student and i was just wondering what books i will be needing for your course. if you can please send it to fatty32008@[emailaccount].com. thank you!"
Apparently, Joe Student REALLY wants to know what books he needs. And apparently, I should drop everything, go through my records, find out WHICH of my classes he is in, and email him this information. Because I have nothing better to do. And it's not like the books are, oh, in the bookstore or anything like that.
Now, I appreciate a student who wants to be prepared, but oh, boy. Welcome to the new semester.
And are there REALLY over 32,000 "fatties" on his email server?
*names and numbers have been changed to protect the overzealous
One of the nice things about being a last minute adjunct hire is that I still don't have a school email address. It does make some things extremely difficult (setting up the course website), but I'm guessing I'm blocked from student requests for the time being.
ReplyDeleteA form response to this sort of thing may be helpful:
ReplyDelete"The book list for all courses may be found on [registration website]."
"You will find all required materials in the bookstore; I checked."
There aren't over 32,000 fatties on the server. That's the zip code.
ReplyDeleteI predict that approximately 5 minutes after he turns in his first assignment (even if the deadline is, as it so often is these days, 11:59 p.m.), this dude will be wondering where his grade is.
ReplyDeleteI get the same email, although not multiple times, but I can't get exorcised about it. Too many students have approached me right before the first exam. They say they don't have the book because it's being shipped and will be here in 10 days. Can I postpone the exam?
ReplyDeleteHow do you acknowledge their financial hardship and apparent work ethic while still saying, "fuck you"?
My experiences provide incentive for me to tell students exactly what book they need, where to find it and the shipping option to choose.
But no, multiple emails end up spam filter.
I know I'm old, but I never would have dreamed of asking my professors something like that.
ReplyDeleteFor me it's not multiple emails, it's the ones who email you at night, then call in the morning to ask the same damn question, even though it's too early for you to have done anything about it.
ReplyDeleteThen there's the ones who email you, then don't bother checking to see your near-instantaneous reply, but instead come up to you in a class with three-score students or more without introducing themselves and ask 'did you get my email?'
Call you?!! How do they get your phone number?
ReplyDeleteI agree the multiple emails are extremely annoying, but do check with your bookstore. I submitted my orders twice this spring for fall term. I email all my students as soon as registration closes with book info. When three of them in one class and two in another told me that either a book I ordered was missing or there was no book listed at the bookstore, I discovered they were right. This happens to me EVERY semester. We go through textbook managers like a hay fever sufferer goes through Kleenex, so I can't even keep a personal relationship with one to try to stave this off. Kleenex of the Semester swears he never received either of the missing orders even though I sent all at the same time and got a confirmation email.
ReplyDelete