@bodangles Didn’t start that way, but I got tired of dealing with this professor’s rude behavior toward me before this conversation.
Sure, not a great way for me to react - I won’t disagree with you. I’m just tired of this nonsense.
But that’s irrelevant to whether I got the answer correct.
The analogy comparing work to school isn’t the same. .you requested admission to this school. You agreed to the terms of the syllabus by staying in the class.
Exactly.
It’s not just about the coursework; it’s about how you handle yourself when they try to teach you.
Professors also grade on how you participate.
I’m troubled by the fact that this isn’t the only professor you’ve had this issue with.
I mean, ALL of us have come across professors/bosses/coworkers who weren’t fair. But you seem to have more of these run-ins than most students.
It makes me think that maybe the problem isn’t professors - but you. Your attitude, your past conflicts with your instructors. For all you know, you have a “reputation” as a particularly argumentative student.
My recommendation is to perhaps have someone go over your emails before you send them to professors, to make sure the tone is respectful and doesn’t come across as hostile/entitled… the way some of your posts here have.
@katliamom Possible, but seems unlikely. They’re from different departments, and for example - this professor has 160 students.
Sure, we’ve all had an unreasonable prof or two in our lifetimes. But usually it’s not a continuously recurring process.
You refer to the book. Many times, the prof contradicts a textbook. Did you have lectures from the prof? At some point, did s/he say that it should be referred to as “the new China dam” and that three gorges isn’t a locally accepted term?
I know zero about this, but this came up on the first page of google: “The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is known in China as the New China Dam.”
I’ve had profs do things like this before- give us the American and local name and tell us that the local answer is the only correct answer.
^^^^^^^Exactly @romanigypsyeyes, even way back when, our professors told us that our books were static, and that the information in books had already changed and would be constantly changing, so we had to provide information from the lectures.
If you are studying on your own, without regard for the lectures, then it’s on you to provide lecture information.
Again, there were no lectures or any way of knowing which perspective they wanted me to answer from.
I haven’t had a single lecture from any of my professors, and I’m 12 classes in.
The problem here isn’t the professors but your command of social skills and use of the English language.
Even in your posts here there is an air of superiority and entitlement. Not entitlement regarding how hard you work but an assumption that you are somehow superior. You come across that you believe you are superior to the professors and deserve only the best grades because you are hard working and smart. You may see yourself as an A student, your professor may see you as a B student. Does that mean he or she is wrong? The professor truly is more accomplished than you are.
Questioning a professor on a grade is something most do maybe once or twice in an entire college career. Yet, you seem to be doing it over and over again. You will be far more successful if you learn to work with people rather than dictating what you know is right.
Observe others in how they handle themselves when there is an issue, confusion or source of conflict. Consider going to the school counselor and saying, “I have trouble expressing myself so that it’s not offensive when I have a conflict or question with a professor.” Some role playing might help.
There is an expression called, “pick your battles.” This means that it is wise to only question what truly matters and not to fight every single little thing that you may not agree with.
Body language, voice inflection, tone, tenor, vocabulary choice, facial expressions, manners and even the time of approach (after class, in office, via email) all affect the outcome you get from someone else. I’m not sure you are truly showing respect to your professors. It sounds to me like they “have your number” and are not going to indulge you.
Your issue really isn’t about your “insufferable professors”, it’s about your ability to see yourself in the appropriate context of your role as a student.
Take or leave this…as always, just my humble opinion.
Can you change to another non profit, educational online provider? I assume there are other public colleges with online degrees in your state.
Was this quiz given only to online students but also to students who attend the lecture?
An issue is that you come across as very belligerent - you may not be so in person and you likely feel very angry, but email your professor as if s/he were your boss or your pastor/priest/imam/rabbi/guru.
You can never be too polite, especially if you want something.
You seem pretty intent on keeping your 4.0 GPA. The point of college is to learn. You don’t have to be perfect.
Students only take ~40 classes to earn a bachelor’s. Twenty requests for a grade change in less than 4 years seems excessive. If you’re a rising senior that means you’ve asked for grade changes for an average of 3 courses/semester or you’re asking one professor multiple times over the course of a semester. Neither is a good situation.
It doesn’t sound like you’re questioning the professors to clarify the answer as an educational opportunity. It sounds like you’re quibbling over points and acquiring knowledge is a secondary concern. I think professors want to believe you’re interested in learning the material. You may want to try to change your approach. If you feel this college just isn’t a good fit for you, look for another one.
And all this advice is from posters who’ve been through this desire to do well. Sometimes we all have a hiccup or even stumble. Getting up and getting back on track matters.
Good luck. Learning comes from all durections, all sorts of experiences.
@austinmshauri The school’s material is low quality. For example, I had one professor in one class who made about 8 (?) changes on my quizzes. He THANKED ME for pointing out all the errors. He didn’t create the quiz, the book’s writer did - and got it wrong many times (the professor agreed.)
That was last semester.
This semester - new class, same professor: he has already changed my grade once. The quiz had the same answer - literally the same one, listed twice. example: “alpha, bravo, bravo, charlie.”
Bravo was the correct answer, but there were two of them; I clicked the “wrong” one.
Similar errors happen frequently at this school.
Another example: The quiz reads off a list in the textbook, but the quiz lists “shame” instead of “sympathy.” Despite this, I knew that the correct answer because all of the other options were wrong; this was a typo (and the one I chose; I had to ‘correct’ for their mistake when I answered.)
It sounds like you should change online college.
Is the college also brick-and-mortar?
@MYOS1634 It is, but I don’t know of another option with a degree in psych that I can pay for fully with my pell grant?
Or, considering my low budget, if it would be any better?
What state do you live in?
What do you want to do with your degree (grad school, med school, divinity school to be a pastor, school counselor…)?
None of the schools in my state are affordable, already checked.
@MYOS1634 I’m reconsidering my path. I have some concerns that my psych hasn’t been able to address, and I won’t go to someone else. Originally, I wanted to get a psy.d and do christian counseling. Now, I’m considering sticking to research - esp. on combat training (if I finish school at all.)
But I’m at the undergrad level, so I’m not sure how that matters? Have to go to graduate school to do any of those.
Yes, you have to go to graduate school, but the different programs look at different criteria.
Is there no way you can attend a brick and mortar university, with Pell + federal loans + state grants + a scholarship for your excellent GPA, for instance?
(Are you a veteran? Would you receive Yellow Ribbon benefits?)
Profs may be talking. You may have earned a reputation as a grade grubber, and coming across as abrasive in how you ask.
@MYOS1634 No sir, I’m disabled - I can’t risk loans at the undergrad level. IIRC state has nothing reasonable (they require I declare I’ll stay in state for X years.)
I applied for ~50 scholarships(?), I got only 1: it was $75 per semester. I’m thankful for it, but it’s not helpful toward a B&M school.
Also, there are no psych schools near me and I can’t move - I don’t have the funds to do so.
Most scholarships come from the university itself.
We’re you enrolled in a community college (online) or did you go straight to the 4-year university?
I really do think you ought to try and find another online program linked to a brick and mortar public university, using TAP and Pell grants to pay for it.
BTW avoid “for profit” schools like the plague, as the name indicates they’re not in it for your education but to make money off of you. On top of it all, their offerings aren’t recognized by legit universities.