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adsii1970

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  1. Life on the university campus:
    (Before the first day of the Spring 2020 Semester edition)

    I'm already getting emails and phone calls from students and the semester hasn't yet begun! For those of you who are in college, or are planning to go to university (or in the U.S., college) some day, I hope these musings of mine give you insight. For those of you who've already been, I hope they give you some insight into why your professors were the way they were. :)

    There are a lot of reasons why students will email or call their professors before the semester even begins. But each reason falls into one of three broad categories: 1) the panicked and over-stressed student, 2)the brownie-point seeking student, or 3) the student who feels they are special. And in my contacts with students already this semester, as there have been seven, they all fit into one of these categories.

    • The panicked and over-stressed student: These can be students of any year or level (first year up through graduate students). For whatever reason, they have some form of educational PTSD. :0.0: Maybe it was a bad last year in high school where they were challenged nearly all the time. Maybe it was a previous semester of university/college study where their personal life crashed and oozed into their academic life. And for others, it could simply be fears of failure, of not feeling prepared, or simply anxious about the unknown. But whatever the cause, these students are already in panic mode.
    • The brownie-point seeking student: Ah, yes. These are the fun students. :rolleyes: If you can't tell, that was sarcasm. To me, these students are worst than the panicked and over-stressed student. These students act like they need your friendship to be able to perform well in the course. Sure, it is human nature to become "friendly" with students. What I mean by that is by our own nature, we enjoy being with people who share our values and our interests. And there have been some students who once were out of my classes, became friends. Genuine friendship is always welcome. But we, as humans, also know when someone is faking friendship to achieve some sort of benefit. And in this case, the benefit perceived is they think I won't fail them if they are a friend. Are they sadly mistaken.
    • The student who feels they are special: These are the worst of the worst. I treat them with the same dignity as I would any other student; but I detest them. These are the students who tell me how I am going to do things in my course or they have a set of demands to be in the course. Already, I have a young male student, a primary education major, who has told me I will meet with him once a week because being in a large class intimidates him and triggers and triggers his anxiety. Wait... what?! An education major who can't handle crowds? And I also have another student who has emailed me about how I will not hold her absences against her grade. Her employer will only reschedule her to attend classes one day a week (yeah, so why not take an online course instead?)

    I, like your professors, am a human, too. And just like every student we teach goes through things, we went through things, too. The five other students who emailed me had reasons which are not because they feel special, but do fit into the other two categories.

    • I've had a student email me about books, their cost, and if there are alternatives out there (panicked and over-stressed). I, as most professors, do not mind helping these students out. In my case, I always use the same textbook for about seven years before I change them. This reduces the cost of the books. I also keep a copy of the books for each class in the various libraries where I teach as course reserves.
    • I've had two students email me about missing either the first day of class or the first week of class (panicked and over-stressed). One is a young lady who is pregnant - and her advisor has already contacted all her professors in December. Sure, she's in panic mode but it is understandable. The other is from a young man who took another class with me last semester. He's graduating this semester and that's triggered his panic mode. He's afraid that he'll do something wrong and not graduated.
    • Oh, yes, the last two. I had one who found my campus-required personal page through the campus directory and emailed me trying to start a conversation about one of my rants. The problem is not only did he misquote a source, he then proceeded to enlighten me with his personal wisdom. Then he closed his email with "maybe we can go out and have a beer and pizza once the semester is over..." and reiterating how he likes having professors as friends who can "think outside the box." Yeah, I could tell by his wording that he's not serious. He's a prime example of the brownie-point student. The other student which falls into this category wrote to tell me the reasons for taking my course. He said it was highly recommended by a few of his peers who've had my course already. He proceeded to tell me what interested him about the topics covered in the course. But the problem is I'm human. An email from a prospective student which is full of grammar errors and misspellings - in a world where spell check and grammar check is a part of every word processing program - screams I really don't put much thought into my own education. Honestly it is hard for me to relate or even understand these people.

    If you have a legitimate question about the course, about the books, or how testing is done in the course, then yes. Please email your professor before the class begins and ask the specific questions you want answered. If you need to tell them of an absence which prevents you from attending the first week of courses, yes, email them. But remember, as a professor, my time is just as valuable to me as your time is to you. Don't email a set of demands or conditions on what you expect. Don't send chit-chatty emails which gains you the title of brownie-point seeker.

  2. Life on the university campus:
    (End of the Fall 2019 Semester edition)

    The semester officially ended for students on December 13th, but for faculty, we weren't done until the 17th - the very latest day we could record grades. Every professor is different. Some see themselves as gatekeepers, looking for lower achieving students to sacrifice to the tradition of the college dropout. Others simply record the grades the student has earned, never giving the student the benefit of the doubt. And then there's those like me. Every time a student does not pass my class I consider it a personal failure on my part.

    Every college/university instructor will fall into one of those two categories. To make the most of your experience in school, you must understand is we've been there where you're at now. We were one time undergraduate students and graduate students. And we, just like you will be, are the product of the professors we had. Two of the three types of professors out there (the no-nonsense grader and the reflective grader) want to give you the benefit of the doubt (at times). But what holds us back is your attitude towards us and the subject we teach. Let me explain.

    • If you're going to miss a class send us an email. Let us know what's going on. Keeping in contact is the simplest way to demonstrate you care about the course and your progress.
    • Make a plan for the semester. For every three hour class, you have about 3 hours per week you need to spend on the course in addition to attending the lectures. Get a schedule of when assignments are due and strive not to wait until the last minute to get started. This way, if you have problems or questions, you can be proactive rather than reactive. Proactive students always perform better in class. Always.
    • Ask for help and use the resources the professor has made available to you. Seems pretty simple. At the universities and community colleges I teach at, I have purchased course textbooks and additional resource books. They are available through the campus library on a three-hour checkout. I also have worked with the writing center and provided them the written guidelines for the term paper for each course. And there's always my office hours for things which you still might need help with. Not one professor will trash you for using these resources - it's why they are available.
    1. The Minmus Derp
    2. Mikenike

      Mikenike

      Thanks for the advice, that’s why everybody (except those students who beg for a passing grade) loves @adsii1970!

    3. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      @Mikenike: I'm not too sure about that but thank you for the kind words anyway. :)

  3. Life on the university campus:
    Always remember your professors are human, too.

    Earlier today I had to go to a local tire shop to have a flat tire repaired. Over the weekend I managed to get three nails, a screw and a 4 cm long piece of round tool part stuck in the same tire. Today also happens to be the first day off on what our area calls "fall break" and this year, my nine-year-old daughter's fall break is the same as mine. Because of this, she went with me to get the tire repaired.

    As I was leaving the tire shop with my daughter, a first year college student was coming into the shop. Rather than just saying hello and continuing on his way, the student decided to engage in conversation. He was upset that he failed the last exam and was wondering why I graded him so hard.

    I tried to excuse myself and my daughter but this young man insisted on blocking my way out of the store. He even went so far to say, "kid, your dad is a mean jerk who doesn't care how bad he hurts people." Yes, thank you so much for that. On one of the few days I get to spend with my daughter where I am not dealing with a migraine (I suffer from severe chronic migraines), he decided to try to embarrass/upset me in front of my child. 

    By this point, the manager of the tire shop told the young man to quit blocking the door. My nine-year-old is very protective of me and often as a dad, I feel unworthy of that kind of attention. She looked right at this young man and said, "the only jerk I see is you. Maybe if you kept your bedroom clean your mother wouldn't ground you so much..." and with that, she grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the tire store.

    When you see your professor out with their family, don't be rude or try to humiliate them. Any respect this young man might have earned with me was lost the moment he tried to bring my daughter into his problem with me. If you have a problem with a faculty member of your university or college, leave it on the campus. Don't bring the problem into their family life. Your college instructors are human, too. They have families and all the complexity of family life you have. And when you bring your issues (Your dad is a mean jerk) into their family dynamic, you never know what impact that can have on a family outing.

     

     

    1. Show previous comments  3 more
    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Some students feel as if they somehow deserve special treatment because they are alive and in your class.

       

    3. Dragon5

      Dragon5

      interesting. 

    4. Mikenike

      Mikenike

      Adsii, I hope that guy fails. Obviously he hasnt learned the maxim, you mess with the bull, you get the horns. 

  4. Life on the university campus:

    It's been a while since I've shared one of these with you. Today's installment is about two students I have at a local community college where I adjunct teach. Both students scheduled appointments to come see me during office hours today. One scheduled at 9:00 and the other 10:00. Normally, my office hours do not officially start until 9:30 a.m., but because of the needs of students who want to see me, I often will be at the campus early. I truly believe in putting the needs of my students before my need of comfort.

    9:00 a.m. I've been at the campus for about fifteen minutes. Noticed at 9:15, the student has not shown up for the scheduled meeting at 9:00. Check email - nothing. Check phone - no missed call. Simply no nothing! So, for the next thirty minutes what do I do? Surf the web and watch Family Feud videos of Steve Harvey. One by one, five students/former students trickle in to do the office hour hangout thing.

    9:45 a.m. Student with the 10:00 appointment shows up early. So, I invite this student in my office and toss out the five "office toads" (term meaning students and former students who come to hang out in my office) out so the student can have my full and undivided attention. The student shows me the progress on their project paper for the course. We take care of some minor issues, student leaves at 10:30 satisfied and ready for the next step of the project paper. Still no word from my first appointment student.

    10:50 a.m. Student from first appointment has still not shown up, no email no phone call. Walk across campus for my 11:00 class. I teach a 12:30 class right after that one. Finish my second class at 13:45 and head to parking lot where student from first appointment sprints to over where I am at, then laughs and says "I'm glad I caught you. I'm not a morning person and decided I wanted to see you this afternoon." So I asked the student why he made a 9:00 a.m. appointment and his answer was, "because I know you have early morning office hours. I'm not an early riser and since you don't have anything important to do, I'm here now..."

    This student was shocked when I walked over to my car and proceeded to get in. He even asked, "can't we meet now? I'm here." My response was, simply No, I cannot meet you now. You missed your scheduled appointment at 9:00 this morning. I have off-campus obligations which need my full attention which is why I have early morning office hours. Please schedule a meeting next week since I won't be back on campus until Monday.

    If he hadn't told me I didn't have anything to do and if he would have valued my time, this story might have had a happier ending for him.

    Moral of this story

    When you make an appointment with a professor you need to keep it. If you cannot keep it, get word to the professor explaining why you won't be there. Don't just not call them and act like it's not a big deal. A professor's time is as valuable as your time is to you so don't waste it. And after missing an appointment never tell that professor "since you don't have anything else to do..." because you will not like the response you get.

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. Lisias

      Lisias

      Quote

      And after missing an appointment never tell that professor "since you don't have anything else to do..." because you will not like the response you get.

      But you can bet your SAS everybody else will love it! :)

    3. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Quote

      But you can bet your SAS everybody else will love it! :)

      Oh, yeah! He made a bee-line to my department chair to say how I refused to help him until next week. She and I talked about it ten minutes ago on the phone. She told me that she was surprised I made the offer since it's fall break and technically, I don't have to meet with anyone.

      She said the young man got mad and said, "oh, so he gets to ruin my break by making me come in to see him during his office hours...

      She called me to tell me that she told him to schedule the meeting though our department administrative assistant for whatever time I had available. And what did she ask next, "want me to tell her you're only available at 9:00 on Monday?" :D

      Darn skippy - that's what I did!

    4. Mikenike

      Mikenike

      And what did she ask next, "want me to tell her you're only available at 9:00 on Monday?" 

       

      Funny!!! 

  5. It has been a strange week...

    I was told that again, this year, there's no money in the budget for me to be placed in a tenured position. So, I continue onto year 11 on an annual contract. 

    I'm teaching five classes with three at a community college and two through a local 4-year university. Three World Civilization to 1500 courses, one Introduction to U.S. Foreign Policy, and one U.S. History since 1945. It gives me a total of 137 students for this semester. But still no tenure.

    During my office hours yesterday, I had a student demand a list of movies. He doesn't like reading. Also wants oral exams on the content of the movies ONLY without any other coursework. Then when I refused his demands, he calls me a fascist and tells me he hopes I burn in whatever place if eternal torment my faith teaches waits for evil people. 

    I consider myself a pretty laid back person. But Hollywood history isn't necessarily real history. And then to demand I hand-craft a class according to one student's demands? Yeah, sure. Let me get right on it. NOT!

     

    1. Show previous comments  3 more
    2. Mr. Peabody

      Mr. Peabody

      It really feels like a "last man standing" situation when the civilized world no longer cares for what really matters and those who stand for absolutes and showing preference to others are in the minority. It's a selfish world. More so now than ever before.

    3. GRS

      GRS

      I don't like Absolutes, i LOVE them...just ignore those people...i always think about stuff, in an Objective side, saying "too many Absolutes" is a pessimistic claim that restrained your potential, much like "i can't do that" or so...I'm fully aware that I'm just 17, but my desire to outdo some grown ups in the game seems possible...though barely anyone in Indonesia like that many absolutes.

    4. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      @GRS To me, absolutes make sense (yes, I know I teach a "liberal arts" subject). When we have a set of absolutes, it defines our thought patterns - absolutes do not limit what we can do or what we can become. Absolutes helps our logic-centered mind to remain focused.

      Besides, I am a huge Isaac Asimov fan. I believe that history is 1 part art and 2 parts science.

  6. Not a fun day.

    Each evening, I spend about thirty minutes planning what things need to be done the next day. Today was going to be a productive day. I had some writing projects to grade, was going to write a chapter on Kerny's Journal, and do some laundry. But then life took a different direction.

    Yesterday afternoon, while leaving campus, I was bumped off a set of outside stairs by one of our groundskeepers. He didn't realize I was behind him as he turned around. To avoid being hit with a weed-eater, I took a step backward and ended up slipping off the stairs. I felt something in my ankle pop, but other than that, nothing seemed wrong.

    This morning, I woke up, and my ankle was tender to the touch and swollen. Called my doctor and got an appointment for earlier this afternoon. But, not wanting to be slowed down by the ankle, I put on compression socks and kept trucking, doing things on my to-do list. By noontime, my ankle was pretty sore, no discoloration, but swollen. I had to take the rest of the afternoon off.

    Well, I am back home after the doctor's office. My "it's nothing to worry about" was wrong. I sprained my ankle. Oh, joy and fun.  :mad:

     

     

    1. Show previous comments  5 more
    2. Kerbinchaser

      Kerbinchaser

      Ouch.
      At least you didn't break it. I mean, sprains suck, but breaks suck more. 
      Hope you feel better Adsii. Take all the time you need with Kerny. 
      (Actually, that reminds me to update my novel. :P)

       

    3. Dragon5

      Dragon5

      get well soon!

    4. TeslaPenguin1

      TeslaPenguin1

      Hope you heal quickly!

  7. Life on the university campus:

    I know it has been a while since I have shared my experiences being a university/post-secondary college educator with my forum friends. So, rather than focus on a student-asked question, today I want to share something which, unfortunately, isn't evident to a handful of college students.

    When your professor has taken time to critique your rough draft do not ignore the recommendations.

    Yes, it is hard to believe there are students out there who do this. While I cannot speak for every instructor/professor out there, I can share what ignoring my recommendations do: it makes me mad.

    Nothing screams "I hate this class" like ignoring the work I've put into critiquing a rough draft. Yes, I point out the obvious things, such as misspelled words, bad grammar, and even wrong word usage. And I get picky over formatting issues, such as incorrect font size, page margins, and citation errors. Often, when a student receives their rough draft back, I have invested anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes per paper per undergraduate student or 45 minutes to an hour (or longer) for a graduate student. For the most part, I have told you the corrections you need to make to score a 90% or better on the paper - yes, I have given you a road map to an "A" paper.

    So, to recap, when your professor gives you critique on a rough draft, make sure you make those corrections!

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Hmmm, I am going to take the liberty to dissect and reply to your last sentence:

      Quote

      People are crazy

      It depends on who is defining crazy. No, seriously, we all have a way of excusing our strangeness while condemning the strangeness of others. Outside of mental illness, as defined by the DSM, it is the uniqueness of each person which makes life and friendships interesting.

      Quote

      life is never good

      Oh, yes. Life is always good. Sure, everyone has a rough spot every once in a while. But here's the deal: life is what you make of it. You can be driven by the circumstances you're in. The results are you'll never feel content or be truly happy. Or there's the alternative: you can do whatever you can to overcome the circumstances. There are times you'll be successful, but you won't know until you try. 

      Quote

      KSP is GREAT.

      Yes, it is. I cannot add to this!

    3. Mikenike

      Mikenike

      True, True

    4. The_Arcitect

      The_Arcitect

      Yep, I will always take those corrections.

  8. Life on the university campus:

    Every once in a while I get a private message from our pre-university crowd forum members. Many times, they will ask me the same questions I am asked by incoming first-year (Freshmen) students. So, what I have decided to do is once a week, take a question I was asked and share it here, for you to see. One of the problems about pre-university students and first-year college students is they have so many questions yet instead of asking faculty, they ask (idiot) students who they either feel have it "together" or are "admirable".

    This week's question comes from my Tuesday morning crowd who are always about fifteen minutes early for the course. The course being taught is U.S. History since 1865:

    Why are so many professors "territorial" about certain topics they teach on? And why do some claim their opinions or views are "beyond debate"?

    This is a really good question and is an issue I've also dealt with since my second round of undergraduate study in 1996. Even now, teaching as an adjunct at three separate universities and colleges, I come across those who will not discuss their major field with an open mind. One of my former colleagues felt she had done the research, she had become the expert, and anyone who disagreed with her was either uneducated or incapable of understanding the level of research she had done. What's sad is this attitude silences debate and honest inquiry, it builds walls between the professor and the student (or in my case, between peers), and detracts from the higher education experience.

    It wasn't until I was in graduate school that I finally received an answer from a professor willing to give one: "There are some out there who believe their research, their authorship, and their expertise on a chosen subject has risen to be above scrutiny of their peers. For what ever reason, they have developed a personality flaw: when you state your opinion is beyond debate, you are essentially taking a stand against further inquiry. You have become close-minded." And this is the way I've viewed it ever since.

     

     

     

  9. Life on the university campus:

    Every once in a while I get a private message from our pre-university crowd forum members. Many times, they will ask me the same questions I am asked by incoming first-year (Freshmen) students. So, what I have decided to do is once a week, take a question I was asked and share it here, for you to see. One of the problems about pre-university students and first-year college students is they have so many questions yet instead of asking faculty, they ask (idiot) students who they either feel have it "together" or are "admirable".

    Spoiler

    Why is this a bad idea? Many of the students they ask had to retake a couple of their first-year classes! There's a reason why these students seem to have all the answers - they tried college their way the first year and had to learn the hard way!

    This week's question comes from my World Civilization to 1500 C.E. course (the traditional course, not the Internet-based ones I teach). What's funny about it is the student who asked me this Thursday missed the appointment he scheduled for today... :blink:

    What is the one thing students do which upsets you, as a professor, the most?

    The problem is there is no "one" thing, but two! The first is realize that my time is just as valuable to ME as yours is to YOU.

    • So, don't waste my time! Do not schedule an appointment with me and not show up. That's simply rude. This is perhaps the worst thing you can do.
    • Within the "don't waste my time" category is to seek out my help with a term paper. No, it isn't maddening that you need help with the paper. But it does set me off when you show up without any notes, a pencil or pen, some sort of research - yes, that's right. You came to ask my help and you came empty handed.
    • I'd rather have you call me to reschedule an appointment with me for a later date if you think you're going to miss the meeting, be extremely late for it, or simply don't have anything to show me at the meeting...

    The second is to cheat on an assignment or to plagiarize someone else's work. As an educator, I take it personally when a student fails my class. I hate it. But then to be further insulted by discovering you've challenged me to fail you through cheating really just - sucks! You've now put me in the awkward situation of trying to decide if I should merely give you a warning (and a zero on the assignment) or if it is severe enough, if I should seek formal sanctions through the university's academic honesty policy. One means you'll have to work hard to gain a good grade in the course, the other means you'll have to retake the course because formal sanctions demand you fail and return any financial aid for the course.

  10. No Superbowl for me tonight. I'm watching Stargate the director's cut on Blu-ray.

    1. ZooNamedGames

      ZooNamedGames

      Not one of Spader's best performances. Especially considering his amazing work over the last 15 years.

    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Still a good sci-fi movie. :)

    3. ZooNamedGames

      ZooNamedGames

      Right alongside the other big sci-fi blockbusters of the 90s like Godzilla, and Independence Day.

  11. I just realized. I've been active on this forum (after the Great Forum Purge of 2012) for 5 years...

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Yup, and I had my user name as adsii at that point. No 1970; just adsii. So when I was purged, it gave me a chance to redo my user name.

    3. ZooNamedGames

      ZooNamedGames

      Been here for 4. So I almost know the same story.

    4. Piatzin

      Piatzin

      I've been active for barely a year

      ;-;

      All these 'remember the old days' talks are going way over my head lol

  12. Ok, folks... so over the last few weeks things have been far from normal for me. Looking for a return of normalcy soon. I do not do too well in a world of chaos.

    1. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Today, during lecture, it dawned on me how relevant the classical Greek philosophy is - even now. The Classical Age Greeks believed they could be at peace by accepting there were things in life they simply had no way of changing. Instead of being stressed out about every little thing, as we are in today's world, their approach was to simply do what they know can be done and not to worry about the rest.

    2. Piatzin

      Piatzin

      You could say that stressing over the seemingly unchangeable is part of what drives innovation though. At least in some areas of life.

  13. Ok, today has been spent doing various tasks including grading mid-terms. The mid-term was valued at 100 points; today I actually had a student score a perfect 0/100 AND misspelled their name on the exam. Incredible.

    HQHaZIC.png?1

    1. Show previous comments  5 more
    2. HansonKerman

      HansonKerman

      Quote

      @Dman979: No, this student insists on doing things the hard way. It was obvious her name misspelling was a typo... At the beginning of the semester this student was looking for a mate, not a degree...

      @ZooNamedGames: No, this student is that lame.

      oof. That's... wow.  Ya might wanna make a stronger version of your cute custom emoji.

      How can a student be that lame?!

    3. Piatzin

      Piatzin

      @HansonKerman When people have deluded perceptions of reality, they do weird things

    4. HansonKerman
  14. Just for fun...

     

  15. Yesterday I had a chance to play KSP 1.3.0 - and that means I've been working on getting images for Kerny's Journal. I'm hoping to sort pictures this evening and then begin working on the next chapter over the weekend. But had to take a break - I realized last night that I've not just "flown" one of my aircraft since the computer hardware upgrades. Anyway, enjoy...

     

  16. Another fun-filled day planned for me and all I had to do was get out of bed and join life...

    HQHaZIC.png?1

     

    1. The Minmus Derp
    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Not really. Yesterday we had a mandatory training session on creating a safe campus. The entire course was about watching trip hazards, cleaning up spills, etc. Hello, I am teaching faculty. As soon as I grab a mop to clean up a spill, the janitor's union would be all over me. And I know this from an experience three years ago...

      Today they want to teach us to "create a safe work environment..."

    3. Piatzin

      Piatzin

      Wait so it's generally frowned upon if you infringe on the janitor's job?

  17. Ok, so I was watching videos during office hours today and found this gem. And immediately I thought, that's  @Just Jim! And look, he's taunting a real Kraken! :DYeah, so I guess I spend too much time in the KSP Kerbiverse!

     

     

    1. Just Jim

      Just Jim

      I would so do that if I were 20 years younger!!!!  :D

  18. Earlier on one of the three Facebook KSP groups I belong to, a member of one of them asked me for mission ideas for the Sandbox mode. While I am not sure I would want to make it into a thread, unless you folks think it would be a good idea, I could just post them as status updates here.

    So, with that said, what do you think? Post them here or create a thread for Sandbox mission ideas/challenges?

    1. Show previous comments  7 more
    2. The Minmus Derp

      The Minmus Derp

      Hi, i think you should do a modded minmus base on the part of the great flats (not the greater flats or the lesser flats) that crosses the ekvator.

    3. Dman979

      Dman979

      This sounds like something you could design in the new Mission Creator...

    4. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Probably is, but I just don't have time to figure out how to use it. My plate is full already.

  19. Yesterday was a rough day. I think I might owe @TeslaPenguin1 an apology for a snarky comment (no offense meant to @Snark as I was referring to the action of being snarky :blush:). When I was saying "I can't wait to read @Just Jim's next chapter, it was not meant as the "I want the next chapter, now!" comment it was taken to be. It was meant to be taken as a "I'm looking forward to reading it whenever it comes out" because as a fan fic author on this forum, I, too, must deal with time constraints.

    Now for why yesterday was rough. I'm not tenured and is why I teach at two separate universities. The week before the semester started, I was notified that I was losing one of my classes (it had 27 students registered) because a tenured professor's class did not have the required number of students registered in it. Because tenured faculty are required to have 15 hours of courses, I was bumped from my course. Being bumped from one course reduces my pay by around $700 per month.

    So, yesterday, my department chair called me up. She wanted me to authorize two students to transfer out of the course which was taken away from me and allow them into the course I still teach for the university. No problem. She then told me that since the course reassignment was made, the course has dropped from 27 registered students and was now (as of yesterday) at 14 (that's a loss of 48% of the students within the first week). Yes, you've read that right. The class has lost 13 students since the first day of classes. And many are telling the registrar the reason is because I am not teaching the class.

    So, to add insult to injury, they took a class from me and I get a lecture about having a cult following on campus. The reason I have a "cult" following on campus is because:

    • I take time to listen to a student who comes to see me during office hours.
    • I return emails within three hours of receiving them. My average would be lower if I factored out the weekends. I don't email on Sunday.
    • I am consistent in my grading.
    • I do not make excuses when I screw up, I admit them and fix them.
    • I don't assign busy work. The first day of class (and in the syllabus) I explain to students why I assign certain things.
    • If needed, I will allow a student to schedule an appointment outside of my normal office hours.
    • I teach the course materials and do not indoctrinate. I allow a free and open discussion in my classroom.
    • I don't do the "Bell Curve" thing. If the entire class earns an A, then that's what I do.
    • And I have a heart. I remember what it was like in graduate school going through a divorce, custody fight, bad car wreck, and the death of a close family member.

    And most importantly, I remember that my students are human, too. People want to be around others who value them as people. And when it comes to taking a college course, students want a professor who they can relate to, who is approachable, and most of all, who they believe is going to treat them fairly. And that's what I do.

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. Snark

      Snark

      No good deed goes unpunished.  Sorry to hear you had such an execrable experience, and I can't even imagine how galling that must be.

      On the other hand... sounds like you're an awesome prof, and you're making a difference in your students' lives, and they recognize this.  To be able to see how much they appreciate you must be emotionally rewarding-- hope that can bring you some comfort.  (Yeah, I know, "emotional rewards" don't pay the mortgage.  But they're not "nothing", either.)

    3. Dman979

      Dman979

      I get emotionally rewarded for moderating the forums. That, a house, and a good credit rating will get me a mortgage.

    4. HansonKerman

      HansonKerman

      Wow.

      (I don't do long comments)

  20. Well, the last three days have not gone exactly to plan. I wasn't able to play KSP last night, but I did make some pretty good progress on Nohochacyum. I think I finally have the light curves right after an "eureka!" moment earlier last week. All of a sudden -- everything just seemed to click and I actually understood what I was doing.

    Progress continued this morning, but not where I expected it to be. Apparently, when I changed desktops, I didn't copy the most recent Nohochacyum mod files. No the star's config was intact (and just needs to be updated). But all the planets I had roughed in are now gone. So, today I spent working on putting the planetary folders (and the moon folders inside each one) to have a rough idea of what I want to accomplish once the mod is complete.

    Once I get my numbers verified, I will start with rough configs for each of the planets. If all goes well, I might have an updated WIP release by the end of August.

    So far, here's what I've done today:

    • Redid the scaled light numbers.
    • Had to rework the rings. They weren't working at all.
    • Redoing the placeholder planet config files to put them in their correct orbits.
  21. Quote of the day:

    raffael-plato.jpg"Astronomy compels the soul to look upward, and leads us from this world to another."

    Plato (427-347BCE)

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Plato was the innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms in philosophy. Plato appears to have been the founder of Western political philosophy , with his Republic , and Laws among other dialogues, providing some of the earliest extant treatments of political questions from a philosophical perspective. Plato's own most decisive philosophical influences are usually thought to have been Socrates, Parmenides , Heraclitus and Pythagoras , although few of his predecessors' works remain extant and much of what we know about these figures today derives from Plato himself. (Wikipedia Commons)

     

    1. Show previous comments  4 more
    2. HansonKerman
    3. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      @HansonKerman: Once upon a time, I did one of these six days a week (normally I am not on the forum on Sunday). For some reason, I quit doing it. Wondering if I should bring it back or let it die...

      Bold added for emphasis... :D  Sometimes my fingers cannot keep up with my brain...

    4. HansonKerman

      HansonKerman

      Maybe just 1 a week?

  22. Now I've spammed the forum:

    _MG_1849.jpg

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Piatzin
    3. NSEP

      NSEP

      *laugh track, followed by Seinfeld theme song*

    4. Dman979

      Dman979

      B& (Banned) ;)

  23. Just a random post...

    Old_fence_post_-_geograph.org.uk_-_68633

    1. Show previous comments  6 more
    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      Anything can break a computer if you swing it hard enough...

    3. HansonKerman

      HansonKerman

      Computers are pretty easy to break, yup.

    4. The Minmus Derp

      The Minmus Derp

      YEAH. My computer spontaneously combusted after I dropped a quarter on a keyboard. NOTE: I am talking about my OTHER computer.

  24. Ok, so now working on some side projects today. I decided to take a break from preparing for next semester for a few reasons. While I would have loved to spend the entire day capturing the images for the next chapter of Kerny, between last night and what I am planning to do tonight, I should have enough for the next chapter. Which means - either Friday or Saturday, there will be a new chapter.

    Today I did work on the light curves for Nohochacyum, went back and started studying my notes for how to do the planetary surfaces, etc. So, I am hoping over the next few months of getting the rocky worlds and the asteroids added. :D

    1. The Minmus Derp

      The Minmus Derp

      Cool! Can you give me a linky?

    2. adsii1970

      adsii1970

      @The Minmus Derp: Sure. I will be updating the download by the end of next week. So you might want to check the thread once I update the repository (there will also be a post announcing it). But the link does contain a description of the final project.

       

    3. The Minmus Derp
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