Tonight DH and I had dinner and went to the symphony for a Holiday concert with another couple. Afterward, we were making small talk, and I asked the other couple if they ever have the I forgot to drop the class, never attended, and now have a final looming dream. The wife said, “Yes, about once a month!” The husband, a former D1 football player and now successful businessman, said, “I never have that dream, but I did that a couple of times in real life during the college days.”
So, the guy who actually did it and survived it just fine sleeps peacefully every night, and most of us who would never have EVER missed a class or showed up unprepared for a final exam have this repetitive dream for decades.
I wish I had been so carefree as our friend. DH was in the restroom during this convo, so didn’t participate. He never went so far as to not attend class ever, but he sure pushed the boundaries, is incredibly successful in his career, and never worries about anything ever, never has bad dreams, and goes through life happy and confident.
What I would give to have that kind of personality!
A family member went to Wyoming for grad school. One day, I noticed the morning temp was -26. I texted and said “WTH?!?!? How is this compatible with life?” Answer was, “We’re going about our business as usual. No closing school or anything of the sort.”
I took an introductory self-paced French class just to fill a slot and get easy credit (had 4 years of high school French plus spent a summer in France). There were weekly sessions with the intructor but he was such an enormous jerk that after attending the first two classes I really did skip the entire rest of the semester and just showed up to the final.
So I do have that recurring nightmare about skipping class all year and then having a final, and I think it’s all due to that French class! In my nightmare I don’t even know where the final is happening or even what my schedule is! It’s kind of hilarious since in my dream I’m acting logically, thinking “ok, I better go to the registrar’s office and have them pull up my schedule” so I’m frantically looking for the registrar’s office which of course I can’t find.
Anyway, if I’d known that ditching that class would still be causing me nightmares 20 years later, I would’ve just gone to class!
OP Back, again, with another update. DS had told professor that he would take the final in January, and accept an Incomplete for now. He announced that a grade had been filed regardless and, given this kid’s academic history, I braced myself to hear that he had an F (or, at best, something in the D-range) and would have to appeal. He received a B-. Some families here on College Confidential would have their holidays ruined by news like that. It will, in fact, bring his semester GPA down to a 3.3+, but this is a kid for whom a B- would have been a bright spot throughout most of his high school career. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
I will assume that this was done with the caveat that the grade can be revised upward upon taking the final in January. Otherwise, if I were the student, I would be supremely ticked off.
@skieurope - This was better than my son thought he had been doing before the final. He will accept the grade. I wonder if other students, with more at stake, had similar experiences with less satisfactory results. My son doesn’t think that he could realistically bring the grade up enough to be worth the headache.
@woogzmama I’m glad it all worked out. I know my kids, who are very good students have both had a one or two what I call “happy B-” grades in a particular class that they struggled with. If your S previously told the prof. he would be taking the final in January I would just suggest that he email the professor to notify him that he will accept the B- as his final grade and will not be taking the make-up final after all. Now he can relax over the break which is always good!
