62.
For want of a better life I pursued an education. I enrolled in a university, and dove head-first into a medical degree program. There wasn't much else offered that tickled my fancy. Science is exciting to me, and this called for a lot of science classes. After the first semester, I quickly realized that due to university costs, I would have to take out student loans if I planned to get by while attending full-time. After a few semesters I realized that I'd want to continue even further after my initial degree, which would mean more bills, of which I already had some big ones.So, for want of lower school costs I transferred to a community college. Community college, in my opinion, only has one good point; low credit costs. The serious downside that I am currently learning is that the old saying is true, you get what you pay for. Everything experienced so far at community college has been sub-par to my experience at the university. But, I will continue to get everything I possibly can out of it. Especially a good GPA
For want of a better GPA I enrolled in some 'fluff' classes. Fluff classes are usually nice. I pick carefully, choosing ones that I will both enjoy and benefit (personally, if not educationally). I picked up an art class last semester. It was boring, but I enjoy art and I got an A.
For want of another A I enrolled in a photography class this semester. I love photography. I didn't have much hope of learning anything new from it, but it gave me cause to buy a new camera (our previous dog had eaten my last digital camera) and it filled my 'fluff' criteria. A previous classmate had warned me before I signed up for the class that the instructor wasn't very... pleasant. I decided to take my chances. Unforeseen events caused me to miss the first class. I arrived at the second class with hospital papers in hand to explain my absence. The instructor was far from pleasant and didn't care why I had been absent.
I wasn't impressed. But, for want of a smooth semester I shrugged it off. And I worked my ass off on the class work, pulling A's and B's for every assignment. A problem arose with one of my kids, and a doctors appointment was made.
For want of an excused absence I talked with the instructor ahead of time. He gave me that days class work as well as an extra days worth of work to do to make up for the absence, but told me it was okay. I did all the work. I continued about my normal routine of working hard and pulling in good grades for my work in the class. Last week while my kids were on vacation, they were puking and sick, so I stayed home with them. I figured this one missed class unexcused or explained wouldn't hurt me. Not so close to the end of the semester. The end of the week brought an attendance warning from the instructor and dean to my mailbox. This didn't sit well with me, as next week I will be absent from all my classes as I go for a pre-op on Tuesday and surgery Thursday, both days of my photography class.
For want of a resolution I contacted the academic dean. I emailed. I called. No response. Out of frustration I decided to call again, but the academic dean was 'not in'. So, the woman on the phone asked how she could help. After I explained my situation, she said standard procedure is to discuss it with the instructor first and then the head of his department if it still isn't resolved. So, I emailed the instructor. It wasn't rude or out of line, I simply wrote about the days I had missed and questioned how they could be unexcused save the most recent. I also questioned whether we could resolve the issue. The reply made it clear there would be no resolution. It was quite rude, which was obvious to me as I had been so careful not to come across as such in my own email. It was a flexing of muscles. "The academic dean is the only person that I know of who has the authority to excuse absences. She usually will excuse some absences for good reason if I support it." It also went on to say that he generally supports the academic deans decisions, but would not in this instance even if the academic dean agreed with me.
For want of a chance at still passing the class I had been diplomatic. I shouldn't have. I should have just said what I wanted to say, which was more along the lines of give me an F regardless of my work being excellent, take your shitty class and shove it.. maybe I would have learned something useful in your class if you were actually a professional photographer. thanks for the education in morality, twisted as it may be.
And now, for want of retribution I will still personally go speak with the academic dean, if for nothing more than for it to be known that the instructor is in the wrong.
I'll gladly take the F, all for the want of a better life.
You've done lots of catching up.
ReplyDeleteLet me reassure you that getting a warning in no way affects your grade: if people don't catch up, I drop them. If they do catch up, I simply count assignments at the end to figure a grade. No asterisk for *Had to send a warning!
And my warnings have nothing to do with attendance since, live or online, I have no attendance policy.
You've caught up sufficiently so that I won't drop you. Let me know if you can if your medical stuff makes school work impossible. If worst comes to worst, I can give you an Incomplete and you can finish the course without penalty in the month or two after graduation.
My medical stuff next week will actually give me more opportunity to catch up completely if I haven't before. Lazing about with my laptop in tow will be the rest I need and nothing else to be doing. No incomplete necessary. I'm having less than 7 posts missing by the end of the semester. No if, ands or buts.
DeleteWell, I'm not crazy about being tagged as fluff or being the low-priced spread, not nearly the fine quality you'd get at Orono.
ReplyDeleteAs far as humanities classes go, Writing is King and Queen both, and all the history, art, philosophy, photography, sign language, and so on are jokers in the deck. Nothing is more worth doing in school than writing! And, judging from the fine way you write, you agree with me, so I won't beat that dead horse any more.
As for what an online course in creative nonfiction would look like in a high-priced school, I honestly don't know. My advanced creative nonfiction is pretty much based on writing on standard models, and I stole from similar courses when I designed it.
But 162 is quirkier, I know. Probably you won't get a week devoted to alienation or even vignettes at other schools--but that stuff is important to understanding writing and improving writing, or so I think anyway.
If you ever take another creative nonfiction course and the instructor has you buy a pricey text with lots of fancy samples and professional examples and textbook graphics and it is obviously all deadly stupid, think back on me with a bit of kindness for sparing you all that and insisting that you learn by doing or, in this case, writing--will you?
This course, and you, are not in the fluff category.This is not a class I thought would be easy for me, nor is writing something I enjoy. I took this class with Brad so for at least one semester we might have a common class, even if it was just online.
DeleteI certainly didn't come into this class expecting an A, or anything remotely close if I am going to be completely honest. Writing, apart from research papers etc, is simply not my forte. I understand and appreciate it's importance, but writing with any real substance is something I leave to the professionals ;)
My "cheap" shot at community college is mostly related to the Biology department. Some great teachers, but the facility is severely lacking. It's a bit depressing to walk into the "labs" at Maine Hall.
As far as the specific course, though I struggle with both the general topic as well as the individual themes, is actually something I would have expected at the university. If i were an avid writer like Brad, I would have jumped at the chance to take this class, which is what he did.
I doubt I will take another creative writing (fiction or non) again simply due to me not feeling confident in it. I wish it came more easily to me, lord knows the books for most classes I take are not only heavy as hell but the prices are atrocious. Everything you said in your last paragraph is the definition of roughly 80% of the classes I take. So, yes, definitely look back on my experience in this class more fondly than others.
"If you ever take another creative nonfiction course and the instructor has you buy a pricey text with lots of fancy samples and professional examples and textbook graphics and it is obviously all deadly stupid.."
DeleteCompletely made my day. I haven't literally laughed out loud at something I've read in a while. Thank you for that. You and I both know that it's only funny because it's true.
"think back on me with a bit of kindness for sparing you all that and insisting that you learn by doing or, in this case, writing--will you?"
I know that I certainly will. I've decided to pursue writing, and it's because of people like you and Denise Wilson. That being said, I'll more than likely have you for one more class before I up and head out for that four year degree. In my opinion, learning by doing is probably the best method of doing things....at least for people like myself.
Now the substance of your piece....
ReplyDeleteNo, let me talk about style and technique first. You handle the prompt with great understanding. You really give it a ride. You put your unhappiness to great writerly use, but never get whiny or self-pitying--just more and more intensely pissed-off. Walking the tightwire in an emotional piece like this is hard to do without falling off, but you do it with confidence and flair.
I really wasn't sure I was doing what was needed for this theme. I got the whole concept of big to small and vice versa, but when I started writing this it didn't look like that to me.
DeleteAnd, it's funny, because I know (and anyone that knows me well too) that I am an extremely (if not overly) emotional person, but... some times, more often than not, I find myself able to just get it out without going over the top. And the more I try to do it, the more control I feel I have. So, I guess this is something like a 'therapeutic' exercise.
Now to the substance:
ReplyDeleteOf course, a piece like this requires all instructors to present a solid front against students, to link hands--even with our archenemies, the administrators--and to proclaim:
* it was a communication problem
* there are two sides to every story
* students are always trying to get away with something
* she is just overreacting
* she's trying to avoid consequences, refusing to take responsibility
* she failed to read the syllabus
* we can't make exceptions every time a student has a hangnail
* etc etc
Yes, we have a thousand little sayings like that to keep you in your place!
In truth, I can't really comment on the substance without quite likely infuriating administrators or colleagues. But what you write seems very very clear to me.
Honestly, that last little paragraph is a greater comfort to me than had the situation in the piece above worked out better.
DeleteAnd that list to keep us students in place, I think is the same for every school, whether is elementary, high school or college. Fortunately, not all teachers out there whip it out and slap us with it every chance they get.