Whiny Confessional Post

I had to fail a student today and I feel just sick about it.

It's pretty rare--thanks to grade inflation and a motivated student body, this problem doesn't come up often. And usually when it does, the student has so exhausted my patience that I don't care. Often it's a case of academic dishonesty.

And usually the kind of kid who's in danger of failing because of blowing off class is a total system-working tool. He calls, emails, weasels, and pleads toward the end of the semester. If they put the energy into their work that they do into working me, they'd be fine.

But this student just sort of evaporated. Didn't turn in his term paper. Didn't turn up for the final. I've tried emailing him to offer amnesty and he doesn't answer. His adviser says that there's nothing particularly going on in his life that would explain his noshowism.

I typically am annoyed by all the babysitting we have to do here to make sure that the precious darlings don't ever have to feel the effects of their choices. But this kid just has me in knots. I keep picturing him huddled in his room watching Heathers for the 108th time and getting ready to Quentin Compson himself off this mortal coil.

Blech.

Although maybe he's just been too busy snorting coke off the thighs of coeds to care. I hope so.



Thanks for listening.