Thursday, May 07, 2009

I'm getting good at talking students...

.. out of taking the final exam.

Today, the consistently low-scoring kid came in wanting to take the final.

Folks, the final is Monday. To pass it, Stu would have to master venn diagrams, truth tables and proofs in four days. He said he wants to try, but I explained that it is unlikely that if he hasn't learned it before now, four days sequestered with his logic book isn't going to do the trick.

I explained that he could take it over the summer -- and I suspect he'll do so.

Also -- the 'my mom says I'm bright but I can't make it to class' girl came in. She's getting a C. This doesn't sit well with her. She has big plans to get a hard sciences degree and then a law degree. Her goal is to make a lot of money -- and somehow that's going to happen if she's doing environmental law?? Since she's on the 'corporations are evil', 'pharma companies are evil' 'I'm a vegan' track -- I don't think she realizes that those folks work for love more than money.

I also don't think she realizes that getting a C in a logic class that isn't all that difficult (compared to most science courses) doesn't exactly bode well for her intellectual abilities...

As we talked, I convinced her that the C wouldn't do huge damage to her GPA (hmm... also, she's in developmental math -- telling me it's hard, but wants to do a hard sciences degree??).

yea -- I'm ready for the end of the semester.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

That is too funny that she thinks she can make money in enviromental law. Sure, you can do plaintiff's work and sue polluters - but only a very few lawyers can really make it big like that. Like you said, all the money is in DEFENDING the polluters :) But yeah, sounds like she may not be up to the challenge anyway...