grades

so, i "called in sick" to class last week....i had been having a tough week emotionally and just decided it was best to stay home.

this week i go back to class and get back all my papers, bibliography, quiz, and homework back...all in one night....it's alot to take in....alot to process....and a very nerve racking thing.

so, let's start with stats....i am not sure i explained this, but the stats class is one in which we do not do statistics....we talk about how stats work, but we never actually do the math....for me, it's been a struggle....mostly because i want to do the math....but i also know it's important to know how to read and talk about statistics for those people who don't know anything about them.

now back to the grade....the professor walks in and immediately is like, "now don't be nervous." great i think...it's time to be nervous....then she does her best to hand out our stack of work like she knows our names....in reality, she knows a few names, but not many....she had told us she wouldn't learn our names until the end of the semester, even though for three classes in a row we had to say our names and give her some way to remember us....i was jen and i drive from the "other big state university in binghamton." there was one guy in the class who wanted her to remember his name because he always wears polos....like polo shirts....right, i don't remember his name and that's just a strange thing....but he is right, there hasn't been a monday when he didn't wear a polo shirt....

okay, back to our work....i get my homework and quiz back....and there is a little slip of paper attached to them....that is what holds our grade, not the work itself....however on the work is alot of marks and words that are hard to read....on my little slip of paper i see this....quiz:C....that's right a C! i don't think i have gotten a c on a quiz or test since i was at least a junior in college....i was a little shocked....and very disappointed....i got 2 extra credit points for getting four questions that were worded wrong or didn't contain the right answer correct....but i couldn't get the questions that had the right answers! so, i stared and listened to the professor review the "most missed" questions....i did get all the most missed wrong....there were four of those....on my slip is also a note from her....please write up the extra credit for the quiz and see me ASAP....great....more work for me to get done by monday....

the homework i got an A....so that helped the quiz feel a little better....but still disappointing....now, a few friends have said to me-"it was a bad week." "think of what that week meant to you personally." right friends, i get it....be easier on myself....but really a C?

in my next class, the other group gave their presentation....it was on symbolism....i was a little confused about some of the things we talked about....anyway, there are 12 people in the other group and only 5 in my group.....one person is missing last night, so that makes four of us....that's right, 12 people presented to 4 of us.....4 of us got to decide part of their grade.....they expected the four of us to fill two hours of discussion for them....bad idea....there was some code talking from the professor to our group after class about the other groups teaching....

but at the end of class the professor puts on the table our annotated bibliographies....he says, "you can go through the pile and find yours." i panic a little thinking that our grades are right on top for the world to see as they are digging through the pile....i am not sure why this makes me anxious...other than some of the people in the class rub me the wrong way...

so, i get to the area of the table and find my paper....phew- no grade on the front....it's on the last page....then the professor says that everyone who missed class the week before needed to see him to get our book precis back....i wait and get it back....he has used the review tool in word to write in red his comments and other thoughts....there is the red, all over the paper.....the comments were helpful, mostly about how to further my writing....make it stronger....so, this guy really has intimidated me most of the semester, but after getting back both my pieces of work and getting positive feedback, i feel better....

one last thing....the prof talked in code again to us....my crazy group member has left the class...last week the prof pulled her from the group, then she dropped the class....our code this week was this- "the other group sucked at this teaching thing....you now know how to do it better." ok, that is it's translation....but you get the point.