After recently checking my grades for this last semester, I was astounded to find that I had achieved even worse grades this semester than last winter. For those who don't know, last winter was an academic nightmare for me. I felt totally out of control the entire semester with an incredibly full plate of work and school and callings and family issues. I didn't talk to any of my professors about the situation and only started pushing myself further with about two and a half weeks of the semester. Yes, I did have the sacrificial lamb -- my New Testament class that I really just gave up on provided me with my lowest grade ever. Yet, the lowest grade I got out of the classes that I actually did some clean-up work in was a B+.
Contrast that with the past fall semester. Again, I found myself in a difficult spot where schoolwork again wasn't going to take priority over some family issues that came up. I decided to talk to my professors early on so that we could work some things out. I spoke to two of my professors, feeling that theirs were the classes most likely to suffer. They both seemed understanding about things, and I patted myself on the back for the great strides I'd made since last winter. However, the evidence now shows in my grades that it actually pays more to not talk to your professors. Case in point, last winter I still ended up with high B grades even in the classes where I only put in C efforts. This semester, I got C grades for my C efforts.
Principles of grade inflation or deflation aside, I've learned it's best to not talk to your professors about your problems . . . unless maybe you wait until the end of semester. Regardless of what they might say, and in the face of basic common sense, don't talk to them. The jab of sympathy at the end of the semester works way better than sympathy early on that ferments into disgust or revulsion by semester end. As Alma once said, and I now add my second, "Learn wisdom in thy youth; yea, learn in thy youth to keep the commandments of God." Though for this situation I'll change the second phrase to "yea, learn in thy youth to keep thy problems to thyself until just before it may be everlastingly too late."
6 comments:
Don't worry, when I come out I will be too stoned out of my mind to carry on a coherent convo.
he he i am laughing.
I've pondered this question at length. I have also carried out extensive research. I have determined that it is best to talk to the professors about 2 weeks before the semester ends. Not earlier, not later. It maximizes grade potential, usually resulting in an A-.
Now that I think about it, I once spoke with a professor two weeks prior to final exam, and I got an A-! Brilliant observation! Who is this Jmh33 and why are we not friends?
Cheers!
I am taking Spanish 4 right now. Bwahahaha. Will probably stay at home inorder to save for our Scandanavian adventure and Jerusalem Center. I hate prudence, but maybe that Joyce was onto something after all.
Adios
that reminds me, I never got to finish Franny and Zoey. I want your book back.
$%#^%
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