And usually, I just roll my eyes. Because, you know, this happens a lot! And everyone freaks out, and then ten years we’re forced to look back and acknowledge that we were wrong, the kids were alright, and everything is as it should be.
But this latest one, which is currently at the top of the most-emailed list, did not leave me rolling my eyes. Instead, it sent me straight into a state of crotchety rage which I have never experienced before and from which I still have not fully recovered – all because of a study called, “Self-Entitled College Students: Contributions of Personality, Parenting, and Motivational Factors”.
To sum up: somewhere along the line, college students have become convinced that they should be receiving an A for effort, which results in a torrent of displeasure whenever one of them gets a bad grade – despite (oh noes!) having worked hard. Among the study’s conclusions:
Nearly two-thirds of the students surveyed said that if they explained to a professor that they were trying hard, that should be taken into account in their grade.
Yeah, that makes sense. Sure, my paper sucked, but I worked really hard on it! See? I even used a bedazzler to dot all the I’s with tiny, sparkly rhinestones! It took hours! Doesn’t that mean anything to you?!
Ugh.
The mere facts would be annoying enough, but then – of course – they bring on the quotes.
Jason Greenwood, a senior kinesiology major at the University of Maryland echoed that view.
“I think putting in a lot of effort should merit a high grade,” Mr. Greenwood said. “What else is there really than the effort that you put in?”
Dear School Athletic Officials: Remember when you started giving out “participation awards” at swim meets because you didn’t want any of the losing kids to feel bad? This is what happens when those kids grow up.
“If you put in all the effort you have and get a C, what is the point?” he added. “If someone goes to every class and reads every chapter in the book and does everything the teacher asks of them and more, then they should be getting an A like their effort deserves. If your maximum effort can only be average in a teacher’s mind, then something is wrong.”
Y’know, Jason, you are totally right. If you’re working that hard, and doing all the reading, and going to every class, and still – still! – your maximum effort continues to yield only average results, then something is wrong.
With you.
Because you are pursuing an academic career in a subject you are really bad at.
14 comments:
Awesome. Awesome awesome awesome. I felt like this when they tried to justify banning the honor roll in certain counties. By all means, let's reward mediocrity.
I started my college career at a university in the late 90s (I know, I AM old) and as I remember, the mantra went like this: test well and write well, or fail. Attendance was not mandatory, nor was class participation. In contrast, I am again a student - ten years later - and I hardly take tests anymore, attendance and participation are required, and while I am certainly retaining more than I did my first time through (which may have less to do with attendance and more to due to decreased booze consumption), I can't help but wonder if professors have changed their whole class grading and requirement structures to appease the participation-ribbon whiners.
The last line is epic. HAHA. I so can relate. what with my school being filled with competititive fearless people :P
I teach sociology and have had students make this exact argument--"ok, so fine, I didn't get the answers right, but I worked on it ALL WEEKEND, and I think I should be rewarded for that." The idea that their effort doesn't really matter if it doesn't lead to them MASTERING THE MATERIAL doesn't really register.
They are also stunned if you don't give extra credit or allow automatic make-ups if they miss exams without a valid excuse.
It all drives me nuts.
Wow, this actually makes me seethe. I HATED kids like that. They are usually the kids who are friends with lazily smart kids who don't ever have to work and just GET IT. Guess what, that doesn't mean that you should get an A for working hard and STILL being dumb...augh!
No mention of the fact that kinesiology is basically, like. . . phys ed?
awesome, awesome post.
I think the biggest problem with a lot of our generation is a false sense of entitlement. This is a perfect example.
These kids should either learn how to be adaptive, and figure out what will get them those high grades, or go to vocational school - if they haven't figured the tricks to success, they certainly don't deserve an A for effort, and definitely don't deserve to be in University.
The undergrad experience was an disappointment for all of us - they promised it would be so much more - but many of us still did well and earned the right to bitch about the system that we'd mastered.
Then we sucked it up and had faith that graduate school would be more rewarding.
PS I was not fond of those kids in University.
My favourite was my classmate whining because her parents were "being weird with money" after they refused to pay for a trip to New Orleans.
Yeah, can't imagine why your parents wouldn't want to pay for you to go show your tits for beads at Mardi Gras.
Wow...just...wow. Thank you, for yet again, giving me something to laugh about. Even though this one kind of makes me cringe at the same time.
As someone who has headed back to the classroom to take a couple courses I've found myself frustrated with the way the professor spoon-feeds the information among other things. But, on the other hand, my "effort" is yielding good results so I try not to complain about the lack of challenge too loudly.
Jesus H. So by this logic, a kid who gets every answer on a multiple choice test wrong should be rewarded with an A for filling out all the little scantron bubbles. Fuuuuuuuck that.
That type of mentality really kills me. It's a result of the whole "let's give every kid an award and no one really wins or loses" thing. When those kids grow up to be college students who think that effort and not end product should matter most, it's amazing that people are shocked.
I'm not saying effort is irrelevant, but it's not the most important thing.
I don't even like to try, so I wonder what that says about me?
Oh right, I'm a failure.
Let's ignore the fact that I'm really, really behind on my Reader and I'm only getting to this now. Because, seriously, I MEANT to get to it earlier and doesn't that mean ANYTHING to you?? All I do is try, try, try! Why can't you just bow down to my efforts and good intentions?
Anyway, great post.
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