Thursday, December 15, 2011

one down, one to go

Finished another semester. Submitted my last final yesterday.

Why then am I still thinking about modification of child custody and grandparent visitation rights?

Why am I still creating Access databases with forms and reports in my sleep?

Why am I still more than a tad annoyed about the two group projects in different classes this semester--both that started with four members, ended with two.

In one of the groups I did the usual--played my role as mom and did all the work that didn't get done by the other group member. Got the maximum points.

In the other group, I didn't do that this time. I did my part of the assignment--well, actually more than my part, but I didn't do all of the work that the other member didn't do. So the teacher gave me five points extra for my extra contribution. But because we (the group) didn't do all of the assigned work, my grade was a C. Well, C+ if you add in the extra 5 points.

When I was a senior in high school I had a teacher who had a big blackboard that covered a whole wall in his class and it had only one thing written on it. All year, in big pastel colorful chalk block letters it said only one thing--LIFE ISN'T FAIR. He said that if he could teach us that, he would have succeeded. I suspect he was tired of hearing kids tell him that "this isn't fair" or "that isn't fair"--but it worked for me. I don't generally fall back into the pit of unfairness when things aren't going the way I want them to.

But I'm telling you, group projects in college are JUST NOT FAIR.

2 comments:

Lisa B. said...

Ack! okay! (actually, I have taken my project and made the collaboration part, aka the "group" in "group project," and made it optional. So people can go it alone if they want to.)

Yay for you and your one more semester to go!

Foodie Family said...

Congrats on another semester down! Way to go!

I, too, hated group projects. I had one in college where we were supposed the grade the other people who worked with us and I gave one woman a D. The other students were shocked, but it was a grade she earned; and had I been really fair, it would have been a F.

Which teacher had that one his wall?

By the way I heard a professor once who said that the reason video games are popular is that they are fair. There are set rules and everyone abides by the same rules. Yeah, the next generation is getting even less preparation for real life.

By the way, this is Joey.