Favorite student emails

[the_geneticist]

We are in crunch time.  Students have been working in teams the last 2 weeks & will be presenting in 2 more weeks.  A student that missed class 4 times (including the last 2 weeks) emailed this (emphasis added):

I apologize for the late reply.
I had some personal health issues throughout this quarter and the last two weeks had been the toughest time. My mental hasn't been stable that I completely let go of academic for a little bit and I had some serious thoughts about dropping this quarter too but I've come to decision to at least try and see where I can reach.

Would you be in your office tomorrow? Could I come see you and talk to you regarding ways of catching up some materials?

I'd greatly appreciate it if you could find me a group for the presentation as well.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,

Stu, you should have dropped.  There is no way to make up for missing half of this class.
As for the "see what [you] can reach", if you got 100% on everything else, you will just barely earn a C.  Based on prior performance, that is not going to happen.

Update: stu took my advice and has Withdrawn from their classes. Unless they change majors, I'll be seeing them again.  Hopefully they will be in a better place to focus on being successful.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

[bio-nonymous]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

Early bird gets the worm...

[Sea_Ice]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

There should be a way to change the settings on the LMS so that stu can access the course early.  Your system might require someone w/admin level access to change it, although I've been able to do this myself during challenging times when we were strongly encouraged to be flexible.

[apl68]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

Early bird gets the worm...

Kind of refreshing to hear about a student who sounds committed to staying on top of things right from the start.

[the_geneticist]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

I'd take it as a win!  They are looking at the class website in advance, I have students that still don't bother to read my announcements and it's the last week of Spring.

[apl68]

I pulled something not unlike what that student did today.  I went to an eye appointment, only to learn that it is for next Tuesday.  Good thing the eye clinic is only a few minutes' walk away, and I had not had to cancel any appointments at work or anything like that.  Still not entirely sure how I messed up the scheduling.

[fishbrains]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

I'd take it as a win!  They are looking at the class website in advance, I have students that still don't bother to read my announcements and it's the last week of Spring.

+1.

And I'm part of the problem. If I have an online class ready a few days early, I'll go ahead and open it. I opened my summer class that starts on Thursday yesterday. Students who enter early almost always do well.

[MarathonRunner]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

I'd take it as a win!  They are looking at the class website in advance, I have students that still don't bother to read my announcements and it's the last week of Spring.

+1.

And I'm part of the problem. If I have an online class ready a few days early, I'll go ahead and open it. I opened my summer class that starts on Thursday yesterday. Students who enter early almost always do well.

Same. As soon as my course shell is ready, I open it up to students. There may not be muc( there, yet, but once the syllabus is finalized I publish the course shell with just the syllabus. Some students try to get readings done early. I've also found most of the early students do well.

[Minervabird]

A student sent me an email yesterday complaining that they couldn't locate any of the course content. I had to tell the student that class doesn't start until NEXT Monday.

I'd take it as a win!  They are looking at the class website in advance, I have students that still don't bother to read my announcements and it's the last week of Spring.

+1.

And I'm part of the problem. If I have an online class ready a few days early, I'll go ahead and open it. I opened my summer class that starts on Thursday yesterday. Students who enter early almost always do well.

If I didn't have the LMS open (and a few years ago the administration required us to have it open 2 weeks before class), I would send the first week's reading to the student if they requested them. Most of the time those students would do well..sometimes it was anxiety.

[the_geneticist]

It's the last week of Spring.  Students are giving presentations in class, which they have known about since day 1.
Got one early this morning:

I won't be able to be in class due to [religious holiday].  Can I do next week?  But not on Thursday.

[EdnaMode]

It's the last week of Spring.  Students are giving presentations in class, which they have known about since day 1.
Got one early this morning:

I won't be able to be in class due to [religious holiday].  Can I do next week?  But not on Thursday.

I used to get more of those types of things, for religious holidays, dentist appointments, etc. so I now have on my syllabus that planned absences that coincide with exams, presentations, etc. will not be accommodated unless I am given a week's advanced notice. I okayed this with the powers that be, they were fine with it, and so far I've had no pushback from students. I tell them this on day one, and have the dates of all major activities on the syllabus so they can check their schedules well in advance.

What are you going to do with this student?

[kaysixteen]

It would rather depend on the college's preset policies, which IIRC are legally largely just up to the school itself, esp if private, to set.

I suspect many schools have informal policies that allow students to claim day X is a religious holiday for them, but if no one recognizes what religious holiday it is, and for what religion it applies, then the student probably would have to provide some documentation of the holiday's legitimacy.  Otherwise any kid wanting to get out of test x on day x could simply invent such a holiday... or am I missing something?

[FishProf]

That would be a pretty good summary of my Uni's policy.   You can have it off for religious observation but you are responsible for arranging in advance with the professor.  Just like our athletes do for games.

[kaysixteen]

Does your school also require student to demonstrate that 'Navel contemplation Day' is in fact a holiday in Never Heard Of Before Religion, and provide documentation of his membership or adherence to that religion, and that religion's very existence in the first place?   I get that providing x# of day's advance notification of intention to take 'religious holiday' off would solve some of the probs, but a creative student would simply have to make up his de novo religion-cum-holiday far enough in advance (but after seeing syllabus)  in order to still be able to do so, if no documentation were required.