Comments on: My Favorite Student Questions http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/ Economics of organizations, strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and more Sat, 26 May 2012 19:17:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mrs. Miller http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72330 Thu, 11 Dec 2008 00:17:39 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72330 So many…
“We have a test today?” (I ignore this one)
“We had homework?” (I ignore this one too)
“How many questions are on the test?” (You’ll find out in a minute, won’t you?)
“Can I have extra credit?” (no!)
“Can I make up that assignment?” (no!)
“Do I have to take the quiz/test?” (um yeah)

]]> By: gpeters http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72327 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:55:20 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72327 Quote:
“I went hiking and got lost in the woods. Can I take a make-up exam.”

]]> By: libertyfirst http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72326 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:03:33 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72326 That wasn’t a question but was embarassingly ridiculous:

Student: “Professor, that’s the fourth time I try this exam”

Me: “Well, this may be the good try!”

Student: “No, I’m used to it”.

He failed, obviously.

]]> By: cmh http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72325 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:44:50 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72325 my first semester as a prof, i gave a few students ‘c’ for their course grade, and i got a couple ‘threats’ that if i didn’t raise their grade to a ‘b’ then they’d lose their status as ‘residential college’ students and they’d be kicked out of their ultra-modern ultra-comfortable dorm (reserved for only such students). pretty unbelievable.

as for being called as ‘dr’ or ‘prof’: i’ve found that students gave me much more respect after i told them ‘i didn’t care’ whether they called me by my last name only, or by ‘dr’ or ‘prof.’ i think that show of security somehow impressed them (i’m 31 and look 23). your mileage may vary.

]]> By: Scott http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72319 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:54:52 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72319 I suppose it’s personal preference and may vary across types of grad programs, but i definitely go by first name with our grad students. I have more sustained and “collegial” contact with them (so it feels more natural), some are not much younger than me (and having different rules by age would be odd), and for the 22yr olds it helps to punctuate their transition to a higher set of expectations. A few grads can come in with a fairly presumptuous attitude, but in our doctoral program there is plenty of time and sustained contact to provide the needed “professional socialization” without resting on titles.

]]> By: Peter http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72318 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:42:58 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72318 Check this out: http://chronicle.com/forums/index.php?topic=29894.0

]]> By: david http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72317 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:24:49 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72317 It is kind of awkward, but think of it this way: I would call Paul Krugman “Professor” if I met him. I would Barack Obama “Mr President.” I would call Muhammad Ali “Champ.” And I would call Governor Blagojevich “Prisoner #18763978″

]]> By: bobvis http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72316 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:57:22 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72316 resisting the hierarchy and social distance of “Professor G___”

I went by my first name in my undergrad class this semester, and yes, it seems that I may have made a mistake.

What about MBAs? Can I go by Bob with them? As someone who has worked before I know I found it bizarre to return to school and discover that I need to call all the professors in my doctoral program “Professor ____”.

]]> By: Mark http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72315 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:16:09 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72315 Under the subject line, “HELP ME PLEASE”

“can you please tell me my final grade i am very worried i did bad in your class. i studied really hard for your class and just had trouble in it. my parents are going to kill me if i did bad and i really have to pass your class. so can you please help me in this situation. i am so sorry to ask of you, but i did try really hard in your class and if i dont pass my parents will not let me wrestle. i really like economics and it interests me so much and thats why i am taking the class and majoring in it. so please help me if you can and next time or in macro i will try so much harder and even more then i tried now
i honestly am not telling you this to just pass i am telling you this casue i care about my education and i am just having trouble in the class and its my major and i have to do good and i wont stop in this major till i pass with a good grade and really would appreciate if oyu could help me and pass me.”

As I always tell students who implore using the “I tried really hard and put so much effort into this class,” if that’s the metric then we shouldn’t have exams. I’ll just ask everyone to write down on a piece of paper how many hours they put into this class and base my grade on that answer. They seem to understand, then.

]]> By: Neel http://organizationsandmarkets.com/2008/12/08/my-favorite-student-questions/#comment-72314 Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:09:05 +0000 http://organizationsandmarkets.com/?p=3604#comment-72314 It’s not a student question but rather one I asked to a student a few years back when I was a teaching assistant in Monetary Economics for Law students. As such, I made them pass their oral exam in June.

One of the students turned up, a blonde with a plunging neckline, with makeup on herself… She chose one of the subjects in the basket, “Rational Expectations”, and went to a desk to prepare her presentation while I was listening and asking questions to another student.

After a few minutes, I invited her to my desk. She came and said that it was bad luck as she had skipped just the section on “Rational Expectations” while revising for the exam. So, I asked her questions about every other aspect of the course, and, unfortunately, she knew nothing.

After 15 minutes, I told her: “Look, visibly, you do not know anything about monetary economics. Now, I’m kind enough and will leave the choice to you: either I give you a zero grade or we have a date.”

Within the split of a second, she replied: “I prefer a date.”

“OK,” I told her, “my rational expectations are that we’ll meet again for the make up exam session in September.”

She never turned up in September…

]]>