# To all new college kids **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 14, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582 "2005-09-14T12:42:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/41 "2005-09-14T21:15:21Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > I guarantee there were some kids sitting in **Oober** ’s class, kids who showed up 5 minutes early, ready to take their quizzes, looking at him through the glass thinking, “good”, thinking, “man, I like this teacher. He doesn’t take crap and isn’t vying for affection.” I know I sure would have. I can’t stand it when it anything starts late because some of the participants, who were warned, show up late anyway. Where’s the integrity? If you say you’re going to lock the door at 4, lock the door at 4. And start the quiz on time. Or else why the hell did I get here early? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/42 "2005-09-14T21:19:15Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > That may well be the case. But why the fuck do you bring up who’s footing the bill as “In the first place…”? You’re right. It came about because of the, “they’re paying for it, they have a right to complain,” attitude. Students at public universities have no idea how extensively their education is subsidized by taxpayers. > [@](#): > > **As Left Hand of Dorkness** pointed out, these cases can easily be judged on their merits. I knew when I was 19 the difference between a “hard but fair” prof and an asshole. I knew even though Mommy and Daddy were helping to pay for class. A lot of 19 year olds do not. And even if the professor is a bit of an asshole, the student has a wildly exaggerated sense of the injustice to themselves and very little (if any) sense of the justice belonging to others. For example, showing up late to class distracts the students already there. Eating in class distracts other students. Professors may be considering the entire class when they make policies, and not merely oppressing individual students on a whim or being blowhards, as they are in Left Side’s extremely retarded (i.e., stunted and undeveloped) worldview. I have said many times that other students aren’t mentioned in this thread – when they are, it’s to say “Fuck the other students, if they have a problem with me it’s because they’re emotionally handicapped,” and etc. It’s comical and ludicrous to think that a professor trying to manage a class by telling individually rude students to knock it off are oppressors, and the vain and self-centered brats demanding their entitlements are “fighting for justice.” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/43 "2005-09-14T21:19:43Z")
> [@Cliffy](#): > > Lamest. Pitting. Ever. > > –Cliffy This must be your first **Trunk** pit thread, then. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/44 "2005-09-14T22:47:39Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > I have said many times that other students aren’t mentioned in this thread – when they are, it’s to say “Fuck the other students, if they have a problem with me it’s because they’re emotionally handicapped,” and etc. It’s comical and ludicrous to think that a professor trying to manage a class by telling individually rude students to knock it off are oppressors, and the vain and self-centered brats demanding their entitlements are “fighting for justice.” Fair enough.I certainly preferred the profs who would launch into lecture right at start time and castigate those who came in late to the ones who would just hem and haw for 5 minutes as people straggled in. One of my profs only gave one pop quizz–on a day when much of the class was not there on time. By the next class, news had spread, and people got their asses in their seats. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2005, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/45 "2005-09-14T23:25:21Z")
I think some of the teachers are too slack. I am a transfer student (from J-school), and this is my first semester at a university. My calculus teacher starts his lecture right on time, I like that. However, he doesn’t tell people to shut up, so he drones on talking about the lecture, and if you miss out you miss out. Sometimes you are surrounded by loudmouthed Casanovas bent on Women phone number domination, which gets rather annoying. There is a constant murmmer of students chatting the entire lecture. Of course there is like 220 people in my class, but still. I suppose he feels the TA sessions twice a week are good enough… I sure wish it were. ☹ Oh, and whoever said Loans are not paying for it yourself can slurp on my underwear after a 10 mile hike in the jungle. I pay monthly on my unsubbed loans, and I will have to pay back every penny. I am 28, not 19. And yes, I am entitled to certain things, I pay for school with my time as well as my money, and if something isn’t going how I think it should I will complain. If it is very bad, I may even complain aloud. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/46 "2005-09-15T00:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=Caricci] Don’t you think part of the education you get in college is how to deal with all different kinds of people and situations? Students aren’t going to graduate into jobs that only have competent bosses who are mentally on the same planet, after all…(snip) QUOTE] Sure, though I doubt that colleges hire instructors just to be different and difficult. It’s probably more unintended consequences or something. And as far as incompetent, not mentally on the same planet bosses goes, AMEN! Seems like that’s the only type of person who gravitates towards management. 🙂 And while I strongly support the right to complain, you won’t get any arguement from me that there are a good number of whiny, snotty, sense-of-entitlement-the-size-of-Texas students out there. Considering the rising cost of college, I don’t see that going down anytime soon, either. Nothing _but_ rich brats will have the means if the wealth gap continues to widen as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Exploding\_Kitchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Exploding\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exploding_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/47 "2005-09-15T00:47:24Z")
**Trunk** , **cric** there is a difference between a “hard but fair” prof and one that shows up unprepared to teach her class, cannot remember the names of the characters in the material she is teaching, refuses to acknowledge valid arguments against her viewpoint, including ones that are **presented in the text as critical observation and essays**. As far as not actually deserving to complain because of not paying? Fuck right off. As an independent student, **35%** of my meager income is expected to go towards my education…despite that my bills and transportation costs nearly break me. That affects my aid. Perhaps you defaulted on your student loans, but I certainly intend to pay mine, and the vast majority of people do…and we all pay for it, since the federal money that guarantees the loans comes out of our tax money. The only free aid I’ve gotten is one $4050 Pell grant in two years of school, and one semester’s worth of book vouchers. I have learned something here today, however. Before now, I didn’t realize that some human anuses came equipped with vocal chords. I now realize that some do, because both you are are talking out of your respective asses. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/48 "2005-09-15T00:52:21Z")
Yeah, the overblown sense of entitlement attitude is terrible. We should ALL be strict uptight inflexible assholes with no sense of understanding whatsoever. Life’s a bitch and then you die, tough it out, keep your nose to the grindstone, sir yes sir, respect your elders because they’re always right, nobody ever said life is fair! That’s the way be! You can keep that shit **Trunk** , because I can’t imagine what a miserable unpleasant fuck I’d have to be to share your way of thinking. Everything in life is a shitload more complicated than that. You’re a dumbfuck for pretending that all rules are always right and justified, and an asshole for trying to force that attitude on others. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/49 "2005-09-15T01:48:06Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > I’ll agree with you 100%. > Having to deal with multiple professors some of whom are politically incorrect, unfair, lazy, poor communicators, and all the above is all part of preparing for the real world. > > When you get into the real world you will have bosses and co-workers who are politically incorrect, unfair, lazy, poor communicators. What are you going to do then? 1) Learn how to deal with it, cope with it and make the best of it. Compromise and adjust. Or 2) become another whiny employee who says their company sucks and is unfair and want’s everything the way they think it should be run. > > Part of the challenge of college was to figure out the profs, find what makes em tick, give em what they want, get the grade. Part of that was putting up with their ticks and strategizing on how to make the grade despite the obstacles. Y’know I’ve yet to see anyone in [Well, my boss wins the “Worst Boss of the Week” award.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=334597) or any other thread like that saying “Thank God I went to college I know how to deal with this shit.” Its ridiculously rude to schedule a meeting and then play hooky to go play golf just as its ridiculously rude to lock the door in the face of a student 10 seconds late. I see the same sense of entitlement namely the entitlement to be treated decently. The only difference is that a job you are being paid to put up with the bullshit and at college you are paying to put up with the bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/50 "2005-09-15T04:05:15Z")
Ummmm, another college prof. weighing in here. Just a couple of side-notes before we address the questions at heart: Different colleges/U’s have different rules. My own personal U occasionally tries to implement no eating/drinking in class rooms and expects the faculty to enforce said rule. Sorry, admins, if I’m teaching at 8 a.m. I’m drinking coffee and if I like the class I’m bringing coffe and donuts for them too. I will certainly not forbid them from drinking coffee while I am. As far as food in class, except when I provide it for all, I really don’t like it. Too much munching and slurping and not nice for hungry profs and other students that don’t have a stash to munch. I allow food when a student lets me know of a scheduling problem that doesn’t allow for a normal lunch/dinner time, said schedule being presented for my inspection. I also allow for medical munching with no additional questions. Now, on to locking of doors at the start of lectures. My only immediate experience with this was several years ago when I was asked to present a series of “Grand Rounds” (at least that’s what they called them) lectures to U med students (actually Orthopeadic residents I think). The chair of the dept. told me the lectures were required attendance and the doors would be locked on the hour. :eek: because the students had previously been notoriously late. Now, these “kids” were residents and were certainly “adults” and surprise, surprise they all showed up on time. And the door was locked on the hour. I’m not that kind of prof., but I can understand why others are intolerant of lateness. It does disrupt the class to a certain extent. I just refuse to go over material I have covered during the time when students are not present. I tell them to get the notes from other students if they can. If not, sucks to be you :dubious: . However, if you make it a policy to lock the door on the hour, you have to lock the door on the hour, or else you have no credibility, or even worse you’re playing favorites. So I hold the door for A, who is only 30 seconds late, then B is coming in the entrance and can see me holding the door for A, so I hold the door for B…rinse and repeat and with a big enough class I’m the doorman, not the prof. :wally Sooooo long story short, I’m the not kind of prof. to forbid you from eating or lock you out for being late, but I also don’t think you are _entitled_ to eat in my class or arrive when ever you want (and don’t think it will not affect your grade, 1 point from an A, hmmm you were late every day, should I or should I not give you the benefit of the doubt?). And if your specific prof. sets specific rules, then for Og’s sake act within the rules and we will all be happy. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/51 "2005-09-15T10:11:54Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > You’ve got the mental landscape of a four-year-old. MY goodness. When I referred to the idiotic generalities, I was talking about **Trunk** , not you–is that what got you so upset? At any rate, if you think that advocating fairness and standing up to injustice is something that needs to be hammered out of a four-year-old, I dearly hope you don’t have children. For me, I consider such traits to be hallmarks of good citizenship. Yes, in the “real world” one has to deal with shitty bosses. In the real world, as long as you can find a new job, no harm and no foul. In college, transferring mid-semester is not an option. And in the real world, you have the options of unionizing, or of going to your boss’s boss to handle problems. I encourage these methods of problemsolving. If that means **cricetus** will call me retarded, well, somehow I’ll learn to live with myself. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/52 "2005-09-15T11:34:43Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > This must be your first **Trunk** pit thread, then. Yeah, apparently he overlooked looked _Beach Volleyball_, _EZ-Pass_, _Smilies_ and _Guests_. This shit ain’t even in the top 10. Thanks for setting him straight. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/53 "2005-09-15T11:40:16Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > At any rate, if you think that advocating fairness and standing up to injustice is something that needs to be hammered out of a four-year-old, I dearly hope you don’t have children. For me, I consider such traits to be hallmarks of good citizenship. Yeah, that’s what I was saying, you fucking idiot. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/54 "2005-09-15T11:52:47Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > And in the real world, you have the options of unionizing, or of going to your boss’s boss to handle problems. I encourage these methods of problemsolving. If that means **cricetus** will call me retarded, well, somehow I’ll learn to live with myself. You’re retarded because you are cognitively stunted. Having such a profound sense of justice for yourself – your rights, your needs – and so little sense of others – your classmates, the instructors… and attaching such a sacred and heroic quality to your demands… demonstrates the emotional maturity of a four year old. You have a clearly profound sense of your own rights, and none at all for others. You WILL have that beat out of you, but not by me. Life will do it. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/55 "2005-09-15T11:53:19Z")
**LHOD** , at least you only have to deal with the every day problems of a 4 year old mental landscape. You could be like **cricetus** and have to deal with the every day problems of having a cistern of a head full of runny feces and ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/56 "2005-09-15T12:00:46Z")
> [@Epimetheus](#): > > **LHOD** , at least you only have to deal with the every day problems of a 4 year old mental landscape. You could be like **cricetus** and have to deal with the every day problems of having a cistern of a head full of runny feces and ignorance. Great. So EITHER you think that students are fucking heros fighting for justice because they want to eat fritos in class and “fight the man!” by calling the prof names, OR you have a head full of feces. This board is not about fighting ignorance. It reeks of it. ---
**Author:** ![Exploding\_Kitchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Exploding\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exploding_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/57 "2005-09-15T12:43:24Z")
Actually, **Cric** , you seem not to be actually refuting any valid arguments, instead favoring throwing insults. While this is the pit, you did bring up the whole ignorance factor. If the board reeks of it, perhaps you should stop sniffing your upper lip. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/58 "2005-09-15T13:18:54Z")
> [@Exploding Kitchen](#): > > Actually, **Cric** , you seem not to be actually refuting any valid arguments, instead favoring throwing insults. While this is the pit, you did bring up the whole ignorance factor. > > If the board reeks of it, perhaps you should stop sniffing your upper lip. When I encounter a valid argument, I’ll refute it. Do you think that demonizing professors is a “valid argument,” that needs “refuting.” Do you think that you ignoramuses have DEMONSTRATED that students who show up late to class with a Big Mac are “fighting for justice”? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/59 "2005-09-15T13:22:25Z")
> [@Exploding Kitchen](#): > > Actually, **Cric** , you seem not to be actually refuting any valid arguments, instead favoring throwing insults. While this is the pit, you did bring up the whole ignorance factor. > > If the board reeks of it, perhaps you should stop sniffing your upper lip. My God, this board needs an enema. People say stupid, self-centered things, showing absolutely NO ability to consider even for one second the POV of a person 2 feet away, they rant and they rave and they show us their crosses and they accuse anyone who disagrees with them of being rich, coddled, and out-of-touch, they attach their selfish demands to heroic struggles for justice, and yet, with no sense of irony, call someone else arrogant. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2005, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582/60 "2005-09-15T13:32:43Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > Personally, through 4 years of college and 6 years at 2 graduate schools, I don’t recall having a single teacher who was incompetent. There were some whose style I had to do a little more work to adapt to. Lucky fucking you. I had a pitiful excuse for an inorganic prof. a year ago. In an 11 week course he cancled class twice right before class started and one other time. The title of the course was Advanced Inorganic Chemistry II. We spent all our time studying biochemistry, starting with the interactions of inorganics as catalysts(okay, some relavency) to studying freaking sugars(totally the realm of bio/organic chemistry). He frequently put questions on the exams that we hadn’t gone over at all. Do you think that the students in the class were unable to realize he was a poor teacher? Were we just deluded ‘college students’ with no discernment? I think not, he was a crappy teacher and I feel ever right to complain about him and his actions. Sometimes a cigar is a freaking cigar. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-all-new-college-kids/321582.md?page=4)