Do current college students whine more than I did when I was in college?

In My Humble Opinion
41

I was in college the first time in 1996 and 1997. I just recently went back to school, and I’ve noticed that the younger people (I’m going to say under 20) have a MAJOR problem being asked to actually do work.

I had a biology class this semester that required a LOT of work. We had homework, reading assignments, daily quizzes, field trips, one assignment had us collect 20 plant samples and identify them by their scientific name and also write a page about each species we had. We had to do the same thing for 20 bugs we were to collect. SURE, these assignments were hard, but we knew about them all semester long… We had to boil a whole chicken at home, de-bone it then arrange the bones in order on a poster board… We also had 3 big papers to do for the class, one about genetics, one about evolution and one about cells. We got to pick the topics, but they had to fall in her guidelines.

So it wasn’t an easy class… BIG DEAL!!! Suck it up and do your work!

You wouldn’t believe the kids in this class. They complained every time we took a quiz. If you KNOW there is a quiz during almost every single class, why not study ahead of time instead of just complaining every week?

When you’ve known for 8 weeks (OR MORE) about the bug and plant projects, why not go ahead and start them, instead of waiting until the due date and asking how many points get taken off for late ones. One student became TOTALLY offended when she didn’t have one to hand in and asked for an extension. She told me that the professor told her that if she didn’t have enough time to complete her work, she should either not work as many hours, or only go to school half time.

waa-waa-waa!!!

It’s exactly what I would have told her.

I also knew another student who was always making excuses to leave class early. He had migraines, he had a cold, and he had the flu… Then he wondered why he only got half of his participation points. AND beyond that, during the class he was always playing Tetris on his cell phone.

Maybe the whining is just a maturity issue. Who knows. But I guess I thought I’d chime in with my personal feelings. haha

OH! PS: I got an A in the class, and I earned it!

42

At the institute of higher learning where I work, do you know who the biggest whiners are? The parents! Oh, it’s nauseating. This is a really hard school and very competitive. On the other hand, it’s the first choice of most new freshmen and there are lots of students who have dreamed of coming here since they were young children. Well, they get here and discover that a) they may have been the best at what they do in high school, but this is also true of everyone else, and b) they are expected to work like dogs.

So, the parents call and whine, “But Dakota is a unique taaaaaaaaalent! Her professor with 30 years experience shouldn’t eeeeexpeeeeect her to learn anything new!” or “Alyxya has processsssssssssing problems and no I don’t need a doctor’s word on that and neither should you. Pleeeeeeeeeeease authorize unlimited time on the test she started five minutes ago!”

43

You didn’t exagerate. What you said isn’t anything close to what I said.

44

parents call and whine

Students’ privacy laws forbid me to communicate with the parents in any way. It’s quite a shock when I explain this to the students. “B-b-b-but if you can’t talk to my mom, who’s going to be responsible for my getting an education? Me? Come on, now, professsor, be serious. Who?”

45

Ooohhh! Good one! I forgot about it because I haven’t had it happen in a while. But when it did, it was great: jaws dropping as I refused to speak to them (especially fun in person rather than over the phone); student’s whines amping up because now they’re getting extra pressure from Mumsy and Daddums because I refused to speak to them about Junior’s work; a few instances even devolved into threats.

Good times.

And it lets you know where the whiny entitlers got it from in the first place.

46

Student in the 70’s, undergrad, then back for grad school in the 80’s, prof for the last 15 years.

YES, YES, YES students are whinier than ever. What is the deal with extra credit? I never heard of that as an under-grad or a grad student, but now every semester I get students in my office who having failed every test ask for an extra credit project so they can pass the course. WTF?

And the parents, ARGGGHHHHHHH. If the student signs a waver saying you can talk about their grade at my U, you have to talk to the parents. I had one kid’s father on the phone every day for two weeks trying to explain to him that the reason his kid didn’t get an A was because he did a major group project with his DAD instead of the other kids in his group. Neither one of them could understand what the problem with that was. :smack:

I could not imagine having my parents calling an instucter in HS much less college to protest one of my grades.

47

I think my parents did once. In grade 8, one teacher lowered my quarterly grade from a C to a B because I didn’t close my book fast enough when he called the class to order. Yes, it was just for that. The marking period was over, but teachers at this school had the power to change grades for any reason at any time.

A while back, I found all my grade school and middle school report cards. This particular card had a B written in next to the C, with the teacher’s initials next to it. Funny thing is, I have absolutely no memory of how that came about. But it’s possible that my parents were involved at some point.

48

I was tired of arguing, so I went into joking mode, but I see it didn’t work.

Never mind.

49

Sometimes, especialy with the “I hat e teaching” teachers, parents have to get involved in high school. I had an unpleasant experience with one high school trigonometry teacher when he decided I wasn’t trying hard enough after I missed the beginning of a unit( I fainted that morning because a quite nasty case of strep throat). The next day, I wrote him a note (still couldn’t speak) asking him to explain it to me. He said, and I qoute, "Welll,if you were serious about learning the material, you’d have been here yesterday. It’s in the book if you want to figure it out yourself.

50

I can see where the parents bothering professors is ridiculous, but sometimes even at the high school level it can be necessary. Fore example, in my junior year of hgih shcool I had the following hellish experience:

I had an unpleasant experience with one (tenured) high school trigonometry teacher when he decided I wasn’t trying hard enough for his tastes after I missed the beginning of a unit (I had a quite nasty case of strep throat and literally fell over walking down the hall). This man had a serious Napoleon complex and I enjoyed lording his ultimate power over us. The next day, I wrote him a note (still couldn’t speak) asking him to explain it to me. He said, and I quote, “Well, if you were serious about learning the material, you’d have been here yesterday. It’s in the book if you want to figure it out yourself.”

From that moment on, I never caught up. Finally I took to writing out the corrections on my handed-back and graded tests to teach myself from my mistakes. He collected one back, photocopied it, and gave it to the vice principal (who was his running buddy) claiming I had changed the answers for a higher grade. He then told me I had to sign a note that he would write out that basicaly had me admitting I cheated, then take it home to my parents. I told him I had to discuss this with them first, knowing he had much more clout and signing that note would destroy my defense.

My mother was quite angry when I explained the situation, and she actually had to arrange a meeting with a district higher-up to supercede the VP that was my teacher’s buddy. He let it go, but I never got over a C after that for projects of the same quality that had netted me a B+ before. My little brother had him two years later and surprise, no matter what he did he never topped a C on projects. His tests were sometimes perfect, but there was always a plethora of minor nitpicks that dropped his project grade. (And yes, he knew we were related- we were the only two people with that last name in the school.)

Normally, I fought my own battles. But this man was trying to strongarm me into a confession and basically I had no power. Of course, situations like this don’t excuse parents who try to mainipulate professors in college, but sometimes at the high-school level the students simply don’t have the clout to fight the battle.

51

I’m damned if I know. Where did this “extra credit” idea come from?

As a TA in linguistics, I had a student who was failing. Badly. But Daddy was a Big Wheel in the university’s medical school, and Junior was supposed to be a doctor. Daddy pulled in all the favours he could muster and made my professor and me pass his son. End result: Junior made it into medical school.

I know Junior’s name, and if I ever am referred to him, I will refuse the referral and ask to be referred to someone else. Junior couldn’t pass my class; how am I supposed to trust him medically if he couldn’t pass my class and had to have Daddy bail him out besides?

52

Can an oxymoron be a sentence? Tell them the curve exists because they’re too stupid to compete against previous generations (who didn’t have a curve). Show them what the Wright Brothers built using a high school education and then offer to give them extra credit if they can untie the knot in their shoes. If 2 bicycle mechanics can accurately calculate lift ratios by designing and building a wind tunnel then certainly the solution to a shoe knot deserves some accreditation.

If the whining gets too loud then go over to the student union. The sound will be absorbed by the composting trash pile.

No you’re not getting old. The students just haven’t learned life’s universal lesson. The smarter you get the dumber you feel.

53

This seems as good of a place as any to post this: Top Ten No Sympathy Lines

I’ll admit, I do whine a bit about some things, but never to the professors. I have mentioned this many times before, but I do have test anxiety and I get very nervous before quizzes and tests, even if I’m prepared. Talking to the other students helps me get my feelings out there; I usually look nervous and when asked I will state why. Most of my whining is due to frustration with myself over this, in no way does it mean that I think the class is too hard, or beyond the expectations of my abilities- it is just a way to let off some uneasiness. For some reason I feel better if I know I’m not the only one stressing over a test.

I am an older (almost 40) non-trad student returning to college after 20 years, and I am very impressed with my fellow students. Most of them seem very committed to their coursework and display a maturity I never had at their age. I don’t hear a lot of whining about classwork or professors, most of it is frustration with themselves when they feel they have not done their best. College is a trying time for many young people, and with it comes many ups and downs.

Since I left the working world to return to school, I have experience with people whining about their jobs…there is no comparision. People whine more about their jobs than any student complaining about coursework, so I think it is unfair to call college students whiney. Most students I know are working and attending classes full time, and the stresses do add up. And sometimes students are justified in speaking out about something; professors certainly aren’t perfect, and they need to grow and adjust, too.

54

Boscibo: Good link.

Speaking out when it’s justified is fine. I just have a problem with students who demand extra credit during finals week after failing to do much of the required work during the previous seventeen weeks. Ditto for students who don’t understand why they lost so many points when I made it clear at the semester’s start that being absent, tardy or leaving early (on a regular basis) is very damaging to one’s grade. Another ditto for students who seem shocked at the due dates for research papers, etc. even though said dates have been in the damn syllabus since day one.

55

Or (perhaps closer to home) show them the quality of Wibur and Orville’s writing. No, it isn’t great literature. But boy does it compare well to what today’s typical college graduate produces.

56

I’d correct you by saying: Great link. It was definitely a keeper.

The extra credit thing always gets me too. Why do so many students feel that they can blow off so many assignments and then get an opportunity to make up for the slacking ways at the last minute. I’m very curious about what’s happening in our high schools.

57

It’ll be a blast when you people are old and social security has dried up.

58

Actually Wesley, you’re going to support us and then social security is going to dry up.

59

Sadly, yes.

I do not see why there is so much hatred for whiners. I know life is hard but does backbiting and sniping the weak really make it easier for anyone? College for alot of people is just something ‘to get through’ to find a better paying job, and the less traumatic the experience the better. Are there boards filled with corporate CEOs talking about how disgusted they are with employees (ie you people) who want bonuses, living wages and vacation time instead of none of the above?

60

I’ll accept the correction from a colleague–and despite the fact that you are younger than I am (but not by much!)… :smiley:

My dept. discourages any use of extra credit or rewriting of final drafts. If we do choose to let someone pick up a few points, they can account for no more than 5% of the semester total. (No more than five points, on my scale.)