It's a freaking WRITING CLASS!

[Plaidman]

Yeah, I know alot of people think less of me for going to a community college rather then a real one. But hey, it's getting me the degree I need and it's still cheaper then anything i could ever afford otherwise.

That being said, one of my classes is Composition 1. That's a writing class, and thus far a very easy one.

Much to my chargin though, today the shit hit the fan there. See, we were all suppose to do a narrative essay. The first draft was due today. That's what the Syllabus said. That is what the teacher was saying all of last two weeks.

Guess how many people brought it today? Including me, about 4 others. Out of 30 students.

They all shouted confusing. Teacher just kinda rolled her eyes over it. She started to talk about next essay's draft which is to be turned in next week. Students started to ask, wait, they thought the draft was due this week, does that mean they extra week?
No. The final draft of narrative is due next week, first draft of next essay is due next week.

Still much confusion.

The teacher then said that alot of people made major mistakes that are unnacceptable from all the first drafts we did.

So guess what teacher started doing...

Telling us the difference of They're, Their, There, Wear, Where, Four, For, To, Two, Too, and about a dozen more that I just dozed through. I got an A on my last, and didn't have any mistakes like that.

Seriously. That shit is like, first grade stuff, if that!

Then, she told us to read pages 409-439 to learn about new essay coming, and do final questions on last essay sample. She then left to go to restroom.

Much more confusion.

"What are we suppose to read?"
"What questions!? WHAT QUESTIONS!?"

I had to shout like, four times to different people. The essay sample was on page 437, the pages before that are just descriptions and rules on new essay we have to write.

When is this due?

"...first draft Next week"

Then big ones. "I don't get it! Why so much writing!? This is fucking bullshit!"

Its. A. FUCKING WRITING CLASS! What, you wanted a bunch of reading and naps? Wrong class. You're expected to, you know, write, in a writing class.

I just don't get it.

[Elspeth]

Yeah, I know alot of people think less of me for going to a community college rather then a real one. But hey, it's getting me the degree I need and it's still cheaper then anything i could ever afford otherwise.

Here is one person who doesn't think any less of you. I think it is great you are going to school! I started out at a community college since I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

And for the idiots in your class here is the the clue x four and my stupid stick for good measure.

[Midorikawa]

There's nothing wrong with getting your GE courses out of the way at a Community college, or taking your entire degree there if they offer it.

Much better than getting boned by a certain Texas based Technical University for $10k for the entire year, failing a political science course because the instructor disagrees with your political views and decided Solitaire was more important than a student asking for help during office hours.

Later, I failed another class based on a syllabus typo that said finals were 3 days later than they really were. I was concentrating on Calculus 2, and not Geography. Guess how many people were prepared for the final out of a class of 120? About 5. >_<

Yes, I probably should have studied geography all along, and I did to an extent, but I was also working 35 hours a week, and trying to do a dual engineering major. I was busy between Calculus and intro to Electrical Engineering. After all that, I said screw it, I'll do it without a degree. :-P

[Squeaksmyalias]

I don't think less of you Plaidman, I give you tons of credit for going to school. It really doesn't make a difference where you go to school as long as you get the education you need for the job you want.

Also you would find these...fine...people, At a normal college. In fact I had flash backs of my classes. *shudders* I saw it all the time in equine 1. Which is sad since 90% of the class had at least 2 years of background in what we were learning. Same for other classes.

[Exaspera]

First of all, if anyone thinks less of you for going to a community college-SHAME ON THEM!!! It is one of the best bargains in this country for getting core required courses.

I teach Art Appreciation at a community college, and it's the best job I've ever had. There are days when I cannot believe that I am getting paid for having so much fun.

Secondly, you are absolutely correct in your assessment of many students acting like grade-schoolers. I think that many of them are not prepared for any type of college in terms of previous education and discipline-mostly from US schools around here.

When I assign papers, with lots of notice and emails, AND an open MYspace with the entire syllabus and essays, assignments, etc., I inevitably get every excuse in the book as to why the paper is late-my printer broke is a great one, my laptop got a virus and I lost the essay, I forgot what the essay was about, I didn't understand, I never got the email, can't get into MY space... I do talk about the assignments in class, too.

I also do a lot of in-class projects like cutting up magazines in order to learn various principles of design, coloring color wheels, going outside to find textures, projects to encourage seeing the world around oneself, including one quiz in class where I make them draw a map as to how they commute to school, how many stop lights they have, etc...and I have the inevitable student who is way too good for doing any of them.

They fall asleep-I wake them up and send them put, same thing for reading materials not having a thing to do with the class including newspapers and emails.

But I am rambling here. You are correct in your assessment of class behavior. I get so disappointed when students will not open their eyes and learn what they have signed up for. So I either suggest that they drop, or they flunk.

I am guessing that you are an older student? The VERY BEST KIND!

[RetailWorkhorse]

Yeah, I know alot of people think less of me for going to a community college rather then a real one. But hey, it's getting me the degree I need and it's still cheaper then anything i could ever afford otherwise.

I call bull-honky. Community College is just as good, if not better, than a lot of other schools out there (Mom's school sucked, for one. It turned into some sort'a party-school).

You can also use a Community College for the first two years and then transfer into an Ivy-League school if your grades are high enough, and it wouldn't cost ya much more to do it (unlike the Ivy-Leaguers that go there right off the bat).

I had plans to be a soul-sucking-corporate lawyer when I was 10.

[Squeaksmyalias]

Midorikawa, I think your instructor and the head of the Equine department at my school were related. She HATED me because I was a cowgirl in a English riding program. She even sent me out to do a ground practical on crutches with a loose stallion. I passed the practical with flying colors. I'm still angry, if I didn't know what I was doing or miss stepped I would have been hurtin.

[Amina516]

Yeah, I know alot of people think less of me for going to a community college rather then a real one. But hey, it's getting me the degree I need and it's still cheaper then anything i could ever afford otherwise.

A CC IS a real college. Who told you otherwise?!

Good job...reading the Syllabus. lol. Sounds stupid i know, but as you saw, the amount of people that are expecting spoon feeding by teachers after high school graduation is astounding.

[Plaidman]

Whoa. Lot of fast responses on that bit. Ok, cool. No-one thinks less of it. Yay!

Only cause its me, right XD?

Thank you all though. Made me feel bit better!

[RetailWorkhorse]

No, Plaid, it's not just because it's you (that helps, though ). A CC really is a real school.

*Pat-pats*

[BlaqueKatt]

A CC IS a real college. Who told you otherwise?

sadly there was a very heated thread at fratching about CC not being good and 4 year uni being OHSOMUCHBETTER!

As I said via text Plaid......

this is why we can't have nice things!!!....like hope for the future of humanity for example....

[Exaspera]

Many times courses at a 4 year are taught by Teaching Assistants, and not the professor listed on registration. In CC, you get who you signed up for.

[Merriweather]

Yeah, I know alot of people think less of me for going to a community college rather then a real one. But hey, it's getting me the degree I need and it's still cheaper then anything i could ever afford otherwise.

Don't put up with that from anyone, that's the same kind of thinking that makes people pay 5 times as much for a mundane item just because of the brand name stamped on it.

There are good and bad schools, good and bad teachers, good and bad classes - at all levels and types of learning. People like you mention in your class exist at all of them.

I got my computer degree from a Community College. Single mother, short on money and time, had to do it as quickly and cheaply as possible. By getting an Assoc. in Applied Science degree from the CC, rather than a BS from the local university, I saved two years, and tons of money - and still got all the higher computer courses I would have had at the uni, I just got to skip a lot of the low level generic classes that weren't computer related. Was supporting my daughter better in half the time, with less student loans to pay off.

I had one instructor who had taught for years at the local university. She finally quit and took a job at the community college - her reason? She was tired of teaching mostly kids who were in collage because mommy and daddy insisted and were footing the bill, and didn't care a thing about learning. At the community college, she found the students for the most part to be people who really want to learn and were there to do so.

Good for you for going to school, and practice your evil stare to anyone who expresses any negative opinions over where you went.

[Midorikawa]

Whoa. Lot of fast responses on that bit. Ok, cool. No-one thinks less of it. Yay!

Only cause its me, right XD?

No. I wish I had gone to community college instead of wasting my time at Texas Tech those years ago. I may have a degree by now, and wouldn't have spent 5 years as a phone tech, or all those years fighting to get my foot in the door of my career as a systems admin.

[Draco]

Telling us the difference of They're, Their, There, Wear, Where, Four, For, To, Two, Too, and about a dozen more that I just dozed through.

Your expected to, you know, write, in a writing class.

Stay awake next time! >.>

Just kidding.

Public perception is that "wow! This person went to <name brand college>! They MUST be smart!"

Maybe at one time that was true. However, some of the densest people I've ever had the misfortune of meeting have graduated from an Ivy League school. I swear, it's like you trade in common sense for the degree.