The Venting Thread

[fishbrains]

I am so aggravated about news stories decrying the outrageous cost of higher education.  I watch these interviews and it's a BU student (~80K/ year) or Harvard (about the same) complaining that people just can't afford to go to college.

In the meantime, you could do the entire 4-year degree at my school for $30k.  Total.  Including housing.

It's maddening.  Yes, college is expensive.  Some colleges are too expensive.  Don't go to those.

[/rant]

Yes. I am in a state where students can go to community college tuition-free if they go straight out of high school. It's amazing how many parents still send their kids to a four-year school and then complain about the cost.

[Parasaurolophus]

The car's transmission died last week (picking it up today), and I have a cracked inlay that will require a crown, and the dental insurance is still maxed out from the crown for another cracked inlay early this year.

So, yeah. That's all of my disposable income spoken for for a while. Sigh.

[mamselle]

I looked through the formatting instructions for this article several times, but kept not seeing any directions for a bibliography. I meant to email the editor but kept thinking I'd just not missed it, and kept putting it off figuring it was in a different section (I know...).

Turns out they don't want a bib., it has to be subsumed into the notes. The online article they asked me to adapt from had a full bib. and they never mentioned it wouldn't be the same in the journal, which was also why I kept thinking it would have one, somewhere.

(Not an excuse, but the reason, of course...)

Guess who's swiftly transforming bib. ref's to note ref's in real time, here.

Arrrrgh!!!

M.

[Parasaurolophus]

Ugh, that sucks. I hate having to do that for other people!

[OneMoreYear]

I don't know what's wrong with me this semester, but I am just failing at everything. I have a family event all of this weekend, and it should be an amazing time of celebration, but I am so behind and so stressed that I'm not looking forward to traveling. I am exhausted and overwhelmed and even things I am normally pretty good at are just not going well.

[FishProf]

Dear Blackboard,
It's great that you setup your system to allow extended time on quizzes and assignments for individual students.  After all, ADA requires that we do so.

Why, however, haven't you set it up so that I can select the student and extend ALL their quizzes in one screen rather than forcing me to do it individually for each quiz.

No love.

FishProf

[downer]

Dear Blackboard,
It's great that you setup your system to allow extended time on quizzes and assignments for individual students.  After all, ADA requires that we do so.

Why, however, haven't you set it up so that I can select the student and extend ALL their quizzes in one screen rather than forcing me to do it individually for each quiz.

No love.

FishProf

Yes, this is a major and obvious failing. I don't think Canvas is any better.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Dear Blackboard,
It's great that you setup your system to allow extended time on quizzes and assignments for individual students.  After all, ADA requires that we do so.

Why, however, haven't you set it up so that I can select the student and extend ALL their quizzes in one screen rather than forcing me to do it individually for each quiz.

No love.

FishProf

Yes, this is a major and obvious failing. I don't think Canvas is any better.

Yep. This is a pain in the ass.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Double post.

Am I expecting too much in that I expect my students to be able to calculate an average? These are Astronomy students who take the class because they think there's no 'Math' in it. Are most people Math illiterate?

SMDH.

[FishProf]

Dear Blackboard,
It's great that you setup your system to allow extended time on quizzes and assignments for individual students.  After all, ADA requires that we do so.

Why, however, haven't you set it up so that I can select the student and extend ALL their quizzes in one screen rather than forcing me to do it individually for each quiz.

No love.

FishProf

Yes, this is a major and obvious failing. I don't think Canvas is any better.

Yep. This is a pain in the ass.

It is such a pain this year b/c I KNOW I have at least 3 students, each with a different accommodation time.  The class in question has 78 items I need to open, adjust for each student and close.  My above complain about ADA exacerbates this because I don't want to do it AGAIN when someone delivers their late accommodation letter.

[poiuy]

Well, after 2.5 years of safety, myself, my 89 year old mother, and her health aide all have COVID. We are all vaxxed, boosted, and masked though the aide was inconsistent at masking and likely brought in the infection.

Last week was really rough in terms of symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, breathing difficulties for mom). This week we are all recovering though feeling very weak and lethargic, with a lingering cough. 

Feeling fortunate that no one needed to go to the hospital.

[ergative]

Well, after 2.5 years of safety, myself, my 89 year old mother, and her health aide all have COVID. We are all vaxxed, boosted, and masked though the aide was inconsistent at masking and likely brought in the infection.

Last week was really rough in terms of symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, breathing difficulties for mom). This week we are all recovering though feeling very weak and lethargic, with a lingering cough. 

Feeling fortunate that no one needed to go to the hospital.

Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm glad that things are getting better, especially for your mother. Fingers crossed for full recovery.

[poiuy]

Well, after 2.5 years of safety, myself, my 89 year old mother, and her health aide all have COVID. We are all vaxxed, boosted, and masked though the aide was inconsistent at masking and likely brought in the infection.

Last week was really rough in terms of symptoms (fever, cough, runny nose, breathing difficulties for mom). This week we are all recovering though feeling very weak and lethargic, with a lingering cough. 

Feeling fortunate that no one needed to go to the hospital.

Oh, no! I'm so sorry to hear that. I'm glad that things are getting better, especially for your mother. Fingers crossed for full recovery.

Thank you ergative!  Things are slowly getting better, and we are hoping they stay on the upward trajectory.

[mamselle]

I'd fire the aide.

M.

[poiuy]

I'd fire the aide.

M.

Not my employee, not my decision.

Aide has many other good qualities, been with my mother for years, cannot easily or quickly replace her.  Yes, no one is irreplaceable, but some come close. I did show my fury, but ultimately, I can do little. Even if I quit my job and moved in permanently with my mother she prefers the aide's assistance for her ADLs.