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I've been away for a couple of months actually letting my brain recharge and generally enjoying the post graduation euphoria of getting a B.S. in Physics.
As a refresher I work as a TA for astronomy lab and then in the school library (usually shelving books or helping out at the reference desk).
Okay without any ado let's get down to business.
Story 1
First lab of the summer session. The professor I work for is a pretty funny guy and can usually get the students laughing within 20 min on the first day. Not these kids.
Anyway. The lab was using star charts to find various things. Not a hard task. The professor left to his office to work on some research. One of the students was about 5 questions from finishing and announced to the class that she would be finishing in 5 minutes in a rather annoying and self-righteous tone. Well 2 minutes later she was asking for my help (i.e. her wanting to give me the answers to her). I slowly head her way while helping other students with their questions. I make sure to take a good 4 minutes to make my way to her chair. She said something along the line of how I now have made her a liar and that it'll take longer for her to get finished (others were now finishing in front of her). I replied that, "If you didn't make that self-righteous comment at the start, I wouldn't have taken my time to get to you. Humility goes a lot farther in life than self-righteousness." She has since become one of my best students in lab.
Story 2
This happened as I was walking from library work around 9pm the other day. There is a pizza place right across from a sub-shop. I go in and place my order with the owner of the pizza shop. There is one other customer in the store. I notice that they are selling oven-toasted sandwiches. I ask about them and how they are selling. I make a comment about how it must be hard selling the subs right across from the sub shop. The owner says, "It's not that hard. I think they're better than XXXX."
At this point the other customer gets pissed. He says, "Dude. WTF?!?! How dare you say something like that. I'm the owner of XXXX. We do business with you guys all the time. Cancel my order. I'm not gonna buy from you guys ever again." The sub shop owner leaves and the pizza shop owner calls him an A-hole right as the door shuts. I start laughing. So does the owner and the employee.
As a refresher I work as a TA for astronomy lab and then in the school library (usually shelving books or helping out at the reference desk).
Okay without any ado let's get down to business.
Story 1
First lab of the summer session. The professor I work for is a pretty funny guy and can usually get the students laughing within 20 min on the first day. Not these kids.
Anyway. The lab was using star charts to find various things. Not a hard task. The professor left to his office to work on some research. One of the students was about 5 questions from finishing and announced to the class that she would be finishing in 5 minutes in a rather annoying and self-righteous tone. Well 2 minutes later she was asking for my help (i.e. her wanting to give me the answers to her). I slowly head her way while helping other students with their questions. I make sure to take a good 4 minutes to make my way to her chair. She said something along the line of how I now have made her a liar and that it'll take longer for her to get finished (others were now finishing in front of her). I replied that, "If you didn't make that self-righteous comment at the start, I wouldn't have taken my time to get to you. Humility goes a lot farther in life than self-righteousness." She has since become one of my best students in lab.
Story 2
This happened as I was walking from library work around 9pm the other day. There is a pizza place right across from a sub-shop. I go in and place my order with the owner of the pizza shop. There is one other customer in the store. I notice that they are selling oven-toasted sandwiches. I ask about them and how they are selling. I make a comment about how it must be hard selling the subs right across from the sub shop. The owner says, "It's not that hard. I think they're better than XXXX."
At this point the other customer gets pissed. He says, "Dude. WTF?!?! How dare you say something like that. I'm the owner of XXXX. We do business with you guys all the time. Cancel my order. I'm not gonna buy from you guys ever again." The sub shop owner leaves and the pizza shop owner calls him an A-hole right as the door shuts. I start laughing. So does the owner and the employee.
Amazing how just one sentence from someone not taking her crap set her straight. More people need to do it!
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