Still a couple of weeks to go

I don't start back to school until the week of September 8 this year. Normally I would be chomping at the bit to get going - but this year, I'm SO glad for the delay - there is still a whole bunch of stuff we need to get done at the new house - and I still have one assignment outstanding - so I can use the extra time.

Stephanie's blog on Ask Me Anything got me thinking about attendance - and specifically about how very different my attitude toward it is now that I'm doing the university thing as opposed to the community college thing.

When I was in college - especially the second time when I took computer programmer analyst - I really was not so concerned about attendance. I went the first week -but after that, I only went to those classes where I felt I was getting something out of them.

If I could do the work from the textbook or whatever - and do it well, then I just didn't bother to go.

If the prof was interesting and provided a lot of extras that weren't in the text - or if I needed help with something - I would be there for sure. But otherwise.... meh...

If the prof was an anal jerk that demanded attendance I might go regularly - but OH did I ever resent that.

And if the prof was just a jerk but didn't demand attendance, I would show up for the tests and that would be about it.

One particular prof comes to mind. He did not have an attendance policy included in the syllabus - and he was THE SINGLE BIGGEST JERK of a prof I have ever had.

He liked to make people look & feel stOOpid - and was just oh so full of himself.

During the second class, he asked a question that was loaded - no matter how one answered it, it was clear that he was going to say "no, I meant..." .... and there was no way a straight forward answer was going to be right.

No one would answer it at all - until he called and me and I responded "Well, if you mean this, then.... but if you mean that, then...." He became visibly irked, a few people tittered in the back and he YELLED at the entire class to SHUT UP!! as if we were 5 years old.

I left and didn't bother to go back - except on test days when I would show up, hand in whatever assignment was due, write the test, and leave again.

That also irked him - big time - and by the second test, he was writing questions in such a way that if you had not been to class, you would get an automatic zero - even if you knew the correct answers which I did.

In our class discussion, which of the following did we decide.... automatic zero for anyone (meaning me) who did not come to class. Did I mention he was a jerk?

Anyway - I managed to aggravate him no end.

On the day of the second test, when I showed up, he said

"What are you doing here? I thought you had dropped the class."

I replied that no, I was going to complete the course.

"Then why don't you come to class?"

He didn't much like my answer: "Because you are an arrogant son of a bitch and I don't like you."

Shouldn't ask the question if you don't want to hear the answer.

I sure do wish that I could have been there when he marked my final business plan. He burned me repeatedly on the tests, giving me zeros for questions that I had absolutely right. And I have no doubt whatsoever that he was fully prepared to burn me on my business plan as well.

BUT I write well..... and part of the instructions for the project were to show your plan to 2 people and have them write a letter of support for the plan.

I chose to ask his boss for one of those letters.

I ended up with an 84% on the course - in spite of those damn zeros. Bet it killed him to give it to me too. I often wish that he hadn't left the college at the end of that semester - it would amuse me to run into him at faculty functions now that I teach there.

Anyway, while my attendance during college was not great (unless I happened to like the course and the prof) - I have done everything in my power not to EVER miss any of my classes now that I'm in university.

I have had to miss a few - when I my mother in law was ill and then died - and again when I had my car accident - but I hate to miss any of them as a rule.

It's different now. I'm not just learning to master specific tasks - I'm learning new ways of thinking, of approaching texts, of interacting and especially, of teaching.

My time in classes is well-spent. And I don't begrudge it at all. Of course, some profs are still significantly better than others at engaging my interest and teaching me what I want to know - but now that I am on the path to becoming a university prof myself, even the worst of them have lots to teach me - mostly about what not to do when it is my turn!