Favorite student emails

[apl68]

"I just gave you a positive review on Rate My Professor? Do you think that it is possible that I get extra credit?"

It depends.  Does RMP allow you to go back and change that review if you felt like doing so?


Seriously, that's a silly quid-pro-quo suggestion.

[Parasaurolophus]

"I just gave you a positive review on Rate My Professor? Do you think that it is possible that I get extra credit?"

"The syllabus clearly states 'cash payments only'."

[apl68]

"I just gave you a positive review on Rate My Professor? Do you think that it is possible that I get extra credit?"

"The syllabus clearly states 'cash payments only'."

Now that would clear things up.  If only students read the syllabus in the first place!

[Morden]

Many years ago, one of my colleagues was offered salmon.

[mamselle]

Many years ago, one of my colleagues was offered salmon.

Fresh-smoked? Or just store-bought?

M.

[onthefringe]

Many years ago, one of my colleagues was offered salmon.

Like wild caught Copper River salmon? That might be hard to turn down! Farm raised  would be less of a struggle...

edit on posting — mamselle and I are clearly channeling a single brain on this one...

[mamselle]

Yep.

A friend went on a fishing trip once and was able to have the salmon they caught smoked and sent to them a week or so later.

Yuummmmmm......

M.

[the_geneticist]

The students have a midterm exam next week.  Got this one one late last night.

Hi Dr. [Geneticist],
I hope this email finds you well! Unfortunately, the past two weeks have been incredibly rough for me.
[4 paragraphs about illness, symptoms, severity, doctor's appointments, etc.]
I am feeling much better, but I am feeling very anxious about taking an exam.   Can I be excused from the Midterm?  If there are any options at all, I would sincerely appreciate it. I always prioritize my academics and I am a very diligent and responsible student, I even earned a 4.00 last year, so I promise this is not me slacking off in the slightest.
So sorry,
Sick Student

I can excuse you from your missed assignments, but you are NOT excused from learning the material. That's why I post all of the videos, slides, worksheets, etc. 

Dear Sick Student,
I'm sorry to hear that you have been sick. No, you are not excused from the Midterm exam. All of the course materials and a study guide are posted on your [LMS] site.  I would encourage you to go to office hours with your TA or with me.
Also, I know this is not your only class. Your Academic Advisor can assist you with options such as taking a medical leave if needed.
Best,
[Dr. Geneticist]

[bopper]

Ah--that changes things, I think. I don't think AP exam opportunities should be withheld this way. A student should not be denied the opportunity to take an exam that can open doors for their future, even if the teacher thinks that they're not prepared.

Depends on if the school wants a high number of students with 4s or 5s....95% of students taking the AP XYZ test got 4 or above!  Because you filtered out the ones who would not score high

[ergative]

Ah--that changes things, I think. I don't think AP exam opportunities should be withheld this way. A student should not be denied the opportunity to take an exam that can open doors for their future, even if the teacher thinks that they're not prepared.

Depends on if the school wants a high number of students with 4s or 5s....95% of students taking the AP XYZ test got 4 or above!  Because you filtered out the ones who would not score high

Ah--I'm not saying AP exams aren't withheld in this way, just that they shouldn't. It is not the student's responsibility to make the school look good at the expense of forgoing opportunities to improve the student's own prospects.

[the_geneticist]

Ah--that changes things, I think. I don't think AP exam opportunities should be withheld this way. A student should not be denied the opportunity to take an exam that can open doors for their future, even if the teacher thinks that they're not prepared.

Depends on if the school wants a high number of students with 4s or 5s....95% of students taking the AP XYZ test got 4 or above!  Because you filtered out the ones who would not score high

Ah--I'm not saying AP exams aren't withheld in this way, just that they shouldn't. It is not the student's responsibility to make the school look good at the expense of forgoing opportunities to improve the student's own prospects.

The AP folks are happy to take the money and let anyone take the test, even folks who haven't taken the AP course in high school.  Heck, some schools pay for all of their students to take the exam in the name of equal access.  I bet if the parents insisted that the school would let the student sit the exam.

[Caracal]

Ah--that changes things, I think. I don't think AP exam opportunities should be withheld this way. A student should not be denied the opportunity to take an exam that can open doors for their future, even if the teacher thinks that they're not prepared.

Depends on if the school wants a high number of students with 4s or 5s....95% of students taking the AP XYZ test got 4 or above!  Because you filtered out the ones who would not score high

Ah--I'm not saying AP exams aren't withheld in this way, just that they shouldn't. It is not the student's responsibility to make the school look good at the expense of forgoing opportunities to improve the student's own prospects.

The AP folks are happy to take the money and let anyone take the test, even folks who haven't taken the AP course in high school.  Heck, some schools pay for all of their students to take the exam in the name of equal access.  I bet if the parents insisted that the school would let the student sit the exam.

Maybe things have changed since I took the exams, but we didn't even take them at our school. We went to another high school to take them on a Saturday. I believe I took another AP exam at a testing center. Not sure if the school can even control who takes the exam if its done there, but it doesn't really matter that much. Anybody can take the exams.

[Caracal]

Whenever I have some major paper due, a student inevitably writes the night before asking what the paper is about and what they are supposed to do. Well, first of all, the assignment is right there on Canvas, but we've been talking about this damn thing in class for the last three weeks. Check attendance...ah, I see the problem...

[jerseyjay]

Just to choose one example, according to the College Board, 43 per cent of students who sat the AP English Language and Composition exam got scores of 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1417503061036216324

Of those who sat the AP Comparative Government exam, 28 per cent got scores of 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1416435025755746307

Of those who sat the AP US History exam, 52 per cent scored a 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1415737930094718979

So, yes, lots of students who do not score well take the exam. The College Board does not require a student to have a minimum, or even any, course grade to take the exam. I took several exams 20 years ago without having taken a single AP course, because my school didn't offer AP courses. Now that is less common, but still possible.

I would say, from the College Board's perspective, low-scoring students are probably good (so long as there are high-scoring students also) because:
1 They pay money (which helps pay for the scoring).
2.They provide a better spread of scores (i.e., if 80 per cent of students scored 4 or 5, it would call into question the validity of the exam).
3. They add to the total number of people taking the exam (an exam that has 500,000 people sitting it seems more legitimate than one with 250,000 students, even if half of them fail).

[the_geneticist]

Just to choose one example, according to the College Board, 43 per cent of students who sat the AP English Language and Composition exam got scores of 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1417503061036216324

Of those who sat the AP Comparative Government exam, 28 per cent got scores of 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1416435025755746307

Of those who sat the AP US History exam, 52 per cent scored a 1 or 2: https://twitter.com/AP_Trevor/status/1415737930094718979

So, yes, lots of students who do not score well take the exam. The College Board does not require a student to have a minimum, or even any, course grade to take the exam. I took several exams 20 years ago without having taken a single AP course, because my school didn't offer AP courses. Now that is less common, but still possible.

I would say, from the College Board's perspective, low-scoring students are probably good (so long as there are high-scoring students also) because:
1 They pay money (which helps pay for the scoring).
2.They provide a better spread of scores (i.e., if 80 per cent of students scored 4 or 5, it would call into question the validity of the exam).
3. They add to the total number of people taking the exam (an exam that has 500,000 people sitting it seems more legitimate than one with 250,000 students, even if half of them fail).

As someone who has scored thousands of the AP Biology exams, I can also tell you that many students don't do well on that exam either.
It's supposed to be challenging and (intro) college level material.  That's why it can count as college credit.  Ironically, the lack of logical reasoning skills is what makes a lot of students do poorly.  As in, "you were asked what will happen to the fish population.  Your answer says nothing about the fish.  0 points."