<p>did this ever happen to you? or is this just the thing nightmares are made of?</p>
<p>a first this semester…three. count them three students missed the first final of the week. three.</p>
<p>that is unheard of and i hate that the students feel entitled to a make up exam. who misses a final exam?</p>
<p>Well I did “back when” … but then I was an idiot so I’m not sure the data point’s currently valid. It makes DW absolutely crazy when students blow off assignments and tests. As she told one student recently “‘I was taking a mental health day’ is not an excuse for missing a test.”</p>
<p>Only excuses that I can think of are being too sick (really sick), an auto accident, a sudden death of a parent or close relative. Things do happen. I’ll bet that some kids stay up so late cramming, and then they over sleep their exam!</p>
<p>I tell my students the first day that I only allow make ups that are pre-arranged or in the case of some extreme circumstance that could be documented or make me cry. More and more students at my cc feel they are entitled to “services” from faculty such as make up exams, grading late work, etc. I wish I could figure out why students have had such a shift in their approach to these things and then I could fix the problem for all!</p>
<p>S missed ALL of his finals in December–two days before they started. Had emergency surgery to repair broken arm and was in the hospital, on heavy pain meds (Dr said: “just don’t do anything that requires thinking.”) Thankfully, all 5 professors worked with him and he made up every final by the very last day allowed to do so!</p>
<p>D actually overslept one year for her Organic Chemistry final. She was hysterical when she arrived for the exam, already in progress. Luckily she had been a great student and the professor totally believed her, allowed her to finish. She got an a A 
In fact, after that happened, she was so paranoid she’d do it again, she had a couple friends AND me call her to make sure she got up for the rest of the finals that semester!</p>
<p>Should have mentioned above that I started to notice a shift a few years ago when a student called to say she was sick and couldn’t take a unit exam that day (a Friday). I said fine and arranged a make up with her on Monday prior to the next class meeting so I could give the rest of the class their exams back. Lo and behold, a little over an hour later I spot her coming down the sidewalk and find out she is on campus to take a colleague’s quiz that can’t be made up. She couldn’t understand the next week when I explained that if she was well enough to attend the class subsequent to mine, she was well enough to take my exam. She never liked me after that since I gave her the predetermined penalty stated in the syllabus of a zero on the exam. I think students don’t really think they are lying when they do things like this. The last time I saw her she was working at our local Best Buy with 3 other students who had failed classes I taught. My kids love Best Buy, but often mention that it is where the failed students go to work.</p>
<p>2VU, I think this is a result of an ever-increasing sense of entitlement across the board. My sister is a h.s. teacher and she sees it as well. At that level, it comes from the parents. My opinion–it comes from the over-promotion self-esteem. Self-esteem comes from accomplishment, not from ‘trying’! …Too many trophies awarded at little-kid soccer games, just because the kid showed up!</p>
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<p>I did that for one of my physics finals at UCLA I was up late studying the night before, decided that I would “just close my eyes for a few minutes” :D, and woke 5 minutes before the test started. I grabbed a pencil and sprinted to the classroom in my pajamas haha. Ended up with an A in the class, amazingly enough.</p>
<p>Only in my nightmares! I have had numerous dreams over the years that I have skipped class all year and, on the day of finals, I can’t find the room where exams are being held. I also dream that I am once again working in the hospital and when the next shift of nurses come on duty, I am suddenly reminded that I have seen none of my patients during my shift. When I was young, I often dreamed that I was at school and had forgotten to wear my shoes; I am from Kentucky, though, so I guess that’s not too far-fetched (LOL!)</p>
<p>"nly excuses that I can think of are being too sick (really sick), an auto accident, a sudden death of a parent or close relative. "</p>
<p>Same rules I had and my professor H has. And such excuses must be documented. Otherwise, students would willy nilly skip exams and then get exam questions from friends. H and I also always gave students make-up exams that differed from the original ones.</p>
<p>Give an inch and they feel entitled to a mile.</p>
<p>When I was in college during the 80’s as an accounting major there was not excuse that would let you off the hook. I had the flu during the winter and had to be hospitalized for a night. I contacted all of my professors to let them know and the only assignment I was late on was one for my auditing class and I was marked down.</p>
<p>My roommates who were both liberal studies majors at the time would reschedule tests or ask to turn in papers late because they had been out partying and were always allowed to!</p>
<p>The colleges that my Ds have attended all had policies in place to deal with students who had to miss an exam. If it was due to illness, the doctor had to complete a form provided by the college. I assume that if there were a death in the family or an auto accident, some proof would also have to be shown. This allowed the students to write their exams during the deferred exam period. One of my Ds had to do this the year she had mono. She had to return to campus two months later to take her exams at that time.</p>
<p>my only requirement for a rescheduled exam is advance notice. i know that unexpected events happen–illnesses, injuries, whatever. i just need to know in advance. usually they skip a class and don’t know they’ve missed anything until someone tells them. </p>
<p>however, a final is a bit different. i still only require advance notice of an absence, but how can they not pay enough attention to their world that they miss this? we discuss dates and times in lecture, in lab and it’s posted on the webct calendar since the first week of class. </p>
<p>i have deferred all of their questions until later in the week. i am too mad to make up my mind, but i am sick. sick if i don’t let them take during a make up period (a very unpleasant time) or sick if i do let them take it! maybe a special exam? i am not a jerk, but this makes me so angry. </p>
<p>earlier this month i had to turn to students over to judicial affairs for cheating. they denied then finally admitted, but were surprised when i followed through. neither one every apologized or acted ashamed–they were mad that i was following my syllabus policy on academic integrity. how could i do anything but show integrity???</p>
<p>One Sunday morning long ago I was skipping church and flipping channels when I ran across William Bennett on some CSpan program. They were discussing higher education and he made the statement that we will never fix higher education until we fix K-12. That statement comes back to me very often, wbow. I think there is very little emphasis on academic integrity in K-12 and I’m not surprised by you experience earlier in the month. I’ve been the bad guy on that one as well. In my state the students get lottery money for high school performance which has shifted parental involvement from backing teachers like when we grew up ages ago to backing students when the parents think teachers aren’t giving little Junior a good enough grade to claim his scholarship money. Academic integrity never crosses their mind.
As well, with worries over maintaining enrollment and funding at my school, it is very much a customer service mentality at the administrative level. I’m sure it’s different at the other end of the spectrum, but that’s the view from the cc end of the spectrum.</p>
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I still have that dream occasionally! In my version, I think I dropped the class, but never actually did, and now I have to take the exam!</p>
<p>^^^^I have had those dreams too! </p>
<p>Any dream analyzers out there? Does anyone know what those dreams are “supposed” to mean?</p>
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<p>I just looked it up! It means you should sell all your possessions, give the proceeds away, and move to India to study with Swami Kazmakall. When you get the cash together PM me and I’ll provide you with a bank routing number. Meantime, you may find this pertinent:</p>
<p>[Dream</a> Moods: Common Dreams: Taking An Exam](<a href=“Dream Moods: Common Dreams: Taking An Exam”>Dream Moods: Common Dreams: Taking An Exam)</p>
<p>My S’s private school has started a new policy this spring. Any finals that need to be rescheduled have a $50 fee. I think they had a lot of students who wanted to finish early and get started on vacation plans.</p>
<p>Parents at D’s pre-prep school drive teachers crazy by taking kids out of school for extended periods for family vacations. When I asked when was the best time of year to miss class with the least impact to visit prep schools, the advisor just stared at me. She said that no one had ever asked before - parent just pull the kid and left the missed exams/homework to the students and teacher to sort out after the fact.</p>