Foo - School Question

I'm taking 100 level classes and many of the students aren't really interested in what's happening or don't really have the skill sets to do well in those classes. I've done a couple labs now and I feel as though I'm carrying my partners. Being a former teacher, it's against my nature to do all of it by myself, and also seems drastically unfair that I do the work while they profit off me. But really, should I care? This is my education and my money is going towards it. If the other students are making a buck off my hard work, should it really bother me, because I'm getting more out of it than I would if I sat back more.

Interesting problem I wouldn't have thought of...

Wait, you are taking 100 level classes but you say you are a teacher? How so?

Wait, you are taking 100 level classes but you say you are a teacher? How so?

Magic... I taught Career and Tech Ed. classes. There's a certain number of years of actual experience that has to be had, but a degree is optional. Welding, Auto mechanics, things like that don't require a degree.

make them hold up their end of the bargain. I say you sleep with all of them :p

Think of it as part of the learning process...helping other students also helps you learn the material better, I've found.

I always hated the group projects and assignments too. There was always at least one guy/girl who didn't pull their weight. For some reason, Professors love this kind of thing so you might as well get used to it.
My goal was to get good grades so I pretty much just bent over and did the work required for it. The one good thing about it though is the Professor usually lets you rate the work of your partners at the end of the project or class.

I always hated the group projects and assignments too. There was always at least one guy/girl who didn't pull their weight. For some reason, Professors love this kind of thing so you might as well get used to it.
My goal was to get good grades so I pretty much just bent over and did the work required for it. The one good thing about it though is the Professor usually lets you rate the work of your partners at the end of the project or class.

Fewer assignments to grade

Thus is the problem with level 100 courses which everyone has to take despite their focus. My Weather and Climate class (filled the science course/lab requirement) was with a bunch of pot-heads (no joke, at least one was a known dealer) who didn't know squat. Easiest class ever, and I got lucky with my lap partner being a non-pot head. We'd breeze through the labs, finish at least 30 mins ahead of everyone else. Hell, most people took an hour and a half to complete the final - i finished in just under 30 minutes! (and aced it, mind you).

Have you tried talking to the professor? I know some profs have huge classes and don't want to hear from the students, but some have smaller classes and offer their office hours and such.

You had better get used to it. We live in an increasingly entitlement-driven society where a larger and larger percentage of the population expects to be carried along on the backs of the high achievers.

make them hold up their end of the bargain. I say you sleep with all of them :p

Best school advice given EVAR in teh history of 4Evar.

*note to self, do not copy off of AEO's quizzes.

In the end do you have a chance to assess your partners?
thats when you get a chance to rat them out :)

teachers aren't stupid, they know anyway. take advantage of your education and let them take theirs for granted. You'll be ahead in the end anyway.

might be a good time to ask the professor if you'll have the chance to grade your co-workers effort and contributions.

Thus is the problem with level 100 courses which everyone has to take despite their focus. My Weather and Climate class (filled the science course/lab requirement) was with a bunch of pot-heads (no joke, at least one was a known dealer) who didn't know squat. Easiest class ever, and I got lucky with my lap partner being a non-pot head. We'd breeze through the labs, finish at least 30 mins ahead of everyone else. Hell, most people took an hour and a half to complete the final - i finished in just under 30 minutes! (and aced it, mind you).

I don't think finishing at least 30 minutes ahead of everyone else with your lap partner is much to brag about. They have medications for that.

Every core class in my major had a lab, and it always ended up with one or two people doing the work and calculations and one or two doing nothing but writing the results down.

I always ended up with iranians for lab partners.

If you're doing all the work then keep all your work to yourself. They can't benefit off you if you aren't letting them.

If you get a project, just explain to teacher the situations you've had in past and request you be allowed to do it by yourself. You're doing more work, but if you are already doing all the work, then are you really doing more work? Then you don't have to worry about poor work of others affecting YOUR grade.

I did this through much of college for the same reasons. I did many big multi-person projects by myself.

Every core class in my major had a lab, and it always ended up with one or two people doing the work and calculations and one or two doing nothing but writing the results down.

I always ended up with iranians for lab partners.

Out of curiosity, was this good or bad?

Historically, foreign students have been among the hardest workers, but in the University I attended recently, I discussed some possible cheating with an instructor when I saw him looking my way during a test and was afraid he thought I was involved. It doesn't help that I sometimes talk to myself when I work things through... I try not to do this in class, but sometimes I am sure my lips move, even if I don't say anything.

For some reason, there is a trend for the foreign students in this particular University to try to get through with the minimum of work, and cheat (though this is not universal). This includes grad students.

I have known some very hard working foreign students, but apparently it may not be the case as often as it used to be.

I'm taking 100 level classes and many of the students aren't really interested in what's happening or don't really have the skill sets to do well in those classes. I've done a couple labs now and I feel as though I'm carrying my partners. Being a former teacher, it's against my nature to do all of it by myself, and also seems drastically unfair that I do the work while they profit off me. But really, should I care? This is my education and my money is going towards it. If the other students are making a buck off my hard work, should it really bother me, because I'm getting more out of it than I would if I sat back more.

Interesting problem I wouldn't have thought of...

Welcome to college!

Little Darwin, I worked with quite a few foreign students (undergrad). Now that you mention it, the one I distinctly remember as not pulling his weight in a semester long group project (8-10 person software team) was most likely of middle-eastern decent. He was the one that was not getting things completed, or "sick" during the group meetings, then miraculously getting an 'A' on the exam the next day while the rest of us put time into the project (doing his work) instead of studying. The group discussed this and it was a shared opinion.

The other foreign students in that group I believe were Indian, Pakistani, or similar ethnic background. They were exemplary students, group workers, and people. Down to earth, smart, hard-working, reliable, and excellent english/communication skills (better than most US citizens). The asians I worked with were typically more difficult to communicate with.

Those are just the experiences that stand out, I'm sure there were exceptions.

Out of curiosity, was this good or bad?

Historically, foreign students have been among the hardest workers, but in the University I attended recently, I discussed some possible cheating with an instructor when I saw him looking my way during a test and was afraid he thought I was involved. It doesn't help that I sometimes talk to myself when I work things through... I try not to do this in class, but sometimes I am sure my lips move, even if I don't say anything.

For some reason, there is a trend for the foreign students in this particular University to try to get through with the minimum of work, and cheat (though this is not universal). This includes grad students.

I have known some very hard working foreign students, but apparently it may not be the case as often as it used to be.


I worked with the same two guys for several labs 90-91....one was big and lazy and spoke very broken eNgisH, he wasn't that useful at times. The second was my age and spoke almost perfect english (perfect for WV)so I was able to get ideas across to him much better, we all three got along great. They were smart indeed, but not that good with their hands it would seem...or maybe I should not that good with hands-on stuff.

The other foreign students in that group I believe were Indian, Pakistani, or similar ethnic background. They were exemplary students, group workers, and people. Down to earth, smart, hard-working, reliable, and excellent english/communication skills (better than most US citizens).

The thing is that historically, this is a group I would have had strong agreement with you on. It is however one of the groups with "ethics" issues in the university last year. It is potentially isolated to just one group of students in one university, that is why I was asking... just curious. Your response has helped me to see that it is probably just isolated.