Did you miss me?
I know it's been a little while since my last post and I apologize for that. This past week got a little out of control, but I survived. (Aren't you all thrilled?!)
A very kind woman named Carol contacted me early last week through my school e-mail. She works with Onlinecollege.org and made me aware of their blog, which is actually very interesting.
Most recently, they posted about the world's most historic colleges. I found some fun posts like Awesome Electives Off the Beaten Path and 10 All-Time Funniest SNL College Skits. They also have some really helpful posts on topics like boosting your grades and handling college expenses.
I enjoyed what I read and I definitely recommend them to all of my fellow college students.
One thing I noticed is that every one of their blogs that I stumbled upon was set up like a list. "Best of" this and "Top 10" that. It inspired me to make my own little series of lists.
My next few blog posts will be lists of things that pertain specifically to life on an Amarillo College campus. I already have a few ideas, but I'm up for suggestions if there are any lists in particular that you want to see.
And today's list is going to be... (drum roll...)
Nine Kinds of Students
1. The curve-killer kind. I really try not to rely on curves to pass me, but those extra points sure are nice. Of course, a class wouldn't be complete without that one over-achiever who aces everything and completely kills the possibility of a curve for everyone else. I would suggest that you do your less-perfect classmates a huge favor and intentionally miss a few questions so we can all get a little boost, but that would make me selfish. If you're willing to make the sacrifice, however...
2. The never shuts up kind. Even the teacher looks like he/she wants to kill this student. Whether this student is asking stupid questions (forget what your mom told you when you were five, stupid questions do exist), acting like the class is their personal audition to be a stand-up comedian, or just blabbing endlessly about something no one cares about...this has got to be the most obnoxious student out there. Just shut up, please.
3. The slacker kind. In other words, the kind I'm always fortunate enough to have in my group for that big project that's due at the end of the semester and makes up 80 percent of the final grade. This student is either going to never show up for anything or show up just to waste up space. This student is either going to stick it out to mooch off of the A that the rest of the group busted their butts to get or actually be semi-considerate and bail out completely. If you are this student, save everyone else the anger and frustration and drop the class.
4. The fashionably late kind. If 9 a.m. is printed on the class schedule, the instructor is in the middle of lecture and the class is full when you show up...the class probably started at 9 a.m. I'm not talking about the student who comes in within five minutes of class starting- everyone is guilty of that now and then. I'm talking about that one student that casually rolls in 30 minutes late on a regular basis and seems totally oblivious to the fact that they are disruptive. They come in, set their stuff down, make sure the instructor knows that they have arrived... Ever notice that this student is usually sipping on a cup of coffee or eating their breakfast? What's even better is when they set their stuff down, sit for a few minutes, then get up and leave again to go grab a drink from the vending machine. Really, people?
5. The kind you want to be best friends with. They are always there. They seem to take great notes and they have pretty good grades. This person might be a good contact in case you have to miss class. Don't take advantage of this person, though. Be willing to return the favor.
6. The pretty kind that tries really, really hard to sound intelligent.
This may be extreme, but you know the kind I'm talking about. They twirl their hair. "Um," "like" and "whatever" seem to be the only things that can come out of their pretty little mouths. I'm pretty sure they really think that college is the way it is portrayed in Hollywood films. They have a really tough time walking across campus in their cute little stilettos and the Amarillo wind doesn't settle well with their hair-dos. Sorry, ladies. Looks may matter, but you really need a functional brain, too.
7. The "I'm an honor student, yet still completely stupid" kind. Ever noticed how the ones that are supposed to be the most intelligent of us all are really the ones that don't have an ounce of common sense in their bodies? One recent encounter was a student who was seriously baffled by the fact that odd-numbered classrooms are on one side of the hallway while the even-numbered ones were on the other. Sigh.
8. The kind that wears their pajamas to class. I honestly don't even know what to say about this. It's so cute that you are in your twenties and still own pink fuzzy Tinker Bell pajama pants (I do too), but could you seriously not find something else to wear? Anything. Ever heard about dressing to impress? Yeah, well college would be a great place to do that. Not saying to wear a suit and tie or a business skirt and blouse...just dress like a human being, for crying out loud.
9. The quiet kind. You never even know they're there. They show up to class, take care of business and carry on. It's kind of nice.
What kind of student are you?
I guess I'm part of the curve-killer kind LOL. But, in my defense, this is my second time around at college. My first time I partied till the cows came home and did it all at the expense of my widowed-Mom's hard-earned money, and grants/loans. I'm now 50+ and this is my last chance and I'm going to give it everything I have, curve or no curve. I don't even consider a curve... like one of my professors said at the start of the school year, "You're adults now, you're not in high school. You get what you put forth. I also don't give extra point for perfect attendance, but I DO mark off for absences. If I'm paid to be here, and you paid to be here, then we both need to be here unless some unforeseen tragedy takes place." Her words, not mine... but sensible words, nonetheless.
As for the PJ bottoms... the teddy bear must be in the backpack. Just sayin'.
Your list is almost spot-on. I have to say, though, that I would never purposely do worse on a test than I was capable of just so the students who didn't study can get a better grade. I also have never noticed students wearing pajamas around campus, but then again, I tend not to pay attention to what others are wearing.
As for me, I am the quiet kind, without a doubt. In fact, my history professor even told me, "You are sooo quiet!" HaHa.
I actually have a tendency to be the curve-killing kind (unless it's a science class). And I'm selfish, so I would just let my classmates suffer with no curve too. Bwahaha.