My instructor is a IDIOT!!!!!!!

bluesky, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2004

Sorry you feel that way. I thought it was funny, since the student's main complaint is proper grammar.
Plus, she's doing very well--a 97 and concerned about which question she missed? An A is an A.
Besides, I didn't call her an idiot (and wouldn't even think that). I pointed out the obvious.
No intention to hurt feelings, in the previous post or this one.

:chuckle :chuckle :chuckle I am soooooo with you on this one.... nursing school is going to be seriously annoying for her! Besides, it's a computer class for god's sakes! Lighten up, OP!!! :)

mitchsmom · Jun 3, 2004

Everyonge makes innocent mistakes here and there, but bad grammar to the point of being incomprehensible is another matter, especially from a college-level instructor.

Word (a COMPUTER program, that a computer teacher should be well versed in) finds most of the mistakes for you. I don't think minor mistakes like a/an are a big deal, but we should be able to write well enough to communicate and I'll be dam*ed if it won't peeve me a little if a teacher marks me off for bad grammer. Then again, I think college is one big amalgamation of these kind of events day after day anyway, so don't get high blood pressure over it!

PCGrad06 · Jun 3, 2004

i took mine on the net too. it is harder than you think and the sad thing is i don't even know why. i thought it would be an easy a too. in the end i had a c 4 points from a b. i emailed him and he said to just let him check the points when i received my grade for the class, it was a b! guess i added up my points wrong :chuckle not. if i were you, i would contact him and ask if he knows of the errors and if nothing changes then go over his head and get it fixed. after all it is your money and gpa! :)

SCmomof3, RN · Jun 3, 2004

Wow! I am a little disappointed. While I am extremely embarrassed by my typographical error in the title of this thread :imbar, I certainly don't think that justifies you saying it's arrogant to complain about a college professor's grammar on an examination, or someone else saying my grammar isn't that great. Although, I admit that I would have been amused if I had read this from someone else :)

I do know the difference between a/an and their usage. I'm not afraid to admit to a mistake I think it is kind of funny in a karma sort of way that I made that error in this thread. Perhaps I do need to ligthen up a bit...

But - I really think this is an important issue. I can (and did) overlook the problems in the online course correspondence. However, on an exam where I am graded for my performance, is it too much to assume that the questions would be grammatically correct? :rolleyes: I can live with a typo or two:p, maybe a misspelled word here or there. My problem lies in the fact that I am paying for my education, and my education affects my degree/career, etc., therefore I EXPECT little things like examinations to be correct and understandable. Are my standards too high? Perhaps, but I think not. This is college, for heaven's sake!

Oh! Yes, I AM doing very well. However, this was a very easy exam on the basics - pretty much a "show what you already know" exam where I'm concerned. The other exams will be based on the course content more comprehensively. That is what my original post's concern was.

Thank you for your responses, especially those that answered my OP and came to my defense for my error.

RNNoMore · Jun 3, 2004

First, everyone makes mistakes, typos, etc., and I don't know anyone in this world who goes to the trouble of writing a draft copy, then the message, then checking for grammar and spelling just for the sake of a reply to a message board LOL! I often get pointed out for 'spelling mistakes' that are NOT mistakes, but are simply written in UK English....it can sometimes be a problem with my professors here in the US, but I am English and I write in English - they wouldn't expect me to speak with an American accent, so why should I write with an 'American Accent' LOL!

Second, I sympathise with you about idiot professors - I've had 2 who were idiots during my pre-req's. The first was a complete control freak, who would change the dates of exams and the contents of them at just a days notice ("Oh, by the way, the exam will now be tomorrow instead of next week, and will now also include chapter 6"). His reply to anyone who complained would be to point them in the direction of the course 'rules' which stated that course content and exams could be changed at any time by the professor, and boy did he love to exercise that rule! He was also the most useless lecturer I have EVER encountered, he was never prepared, was totally boring, and would prance about from subject to subject in such a disorganised way that we would leave the lecture hall shaking our heads in confusion. If attendance hadn't been part of our grades, most of us would have preferred to have spent those wasted 3 hours in self-study. All the students, without exception loathed this professor, especially as he treated all of us like silly school children instead of responisble adults. I coped with it by trying to guess ahead and plan for any changes that he might make (like being prepared for exams a week before they were due, and always being ahead in my reading).

My second idiot was a very young, very enthusiastic Psych professor, with very little teaching experience (it was her second semester of teaching), no responsibilities (not married, no kids), and no clue about life in the 'real world'. I dropped her course after the first class, when she announced that we would have to write a total of EIGHT 8-page, fully APA formatted papers on the stages of human development, as well as do detailed case studies on eight people who were at those stages - this was for a 3-credit course! The following day I enrolled on an identical course, but with a different professor, whose expectations were a lot more realistic.

I've also had 2 courses with very elderly professors, who were wonderful, charming, interesting people - but who tended to get a little forgetful at times (such as repeating the same lecture twice, forgetting exam papers etc.). I enjoyed these 2 courses immensely because I liked the professors and could easily forgive their minor mistakes. These professors had a lot of real-world experience behind them, and were therefore realistic in their expectations, and tended to treat mature students with more respect.

My advice would be: If you can easily drop the course and enroll on an identical course with another instructor then do so. If you can't, then you have to learn to live with it and cope the best you can - it will get easier as you learn about your instructors little foibles, then you can guess ahead and be as prepared as you can.

Best wishes, Paint.

mariedoreen · Jun 3, 2004

Sorry you feel that way. I thought it was funny, since the student's main complaint is proper grammar.

If it makes you feel better Chris, I laughed!

Here are my small horror stories: a prof who posted an assignment instruction on a Monday. I posted my completed assignment on Tuesday (no take backs, once you've posted you're done). On Wednesday she revised the instructions for the assignment. On the following Monday she gave me a C because I didn't follow Wednesday's instructions. Grrrrrr. I fired off one hell of an angry post and "respectfully" requested a review of my grade. On Thursday she changed my grade to an A. The next Monday she played the same game all over again.

Then there was the prof of my Civil War history class who threw in some test questions that had absolutely nothing to do with our required reading. When questioned about it at the next review session, he apologized and said "Oh, the civil war is a hobby of mine, I know so much about it I pull the test questions from my head without checking to see if it's in your reading. I'll TRY to watch that.." I just about fell out of my chair.

mother/babyRN, RN · Jun 3, 2004

Instructors need to know correct grammar at the very least......

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jun 4, 2004

I knew this thread wouldn't fly without a grammar ripping.

mother/babyRN, RN · Jun 4, 2004

Is there such a thing? That is a new one on me....I suppose now a days even a teacher should probably be exempt from knowing the basics.....Merely an observation and not a "ripping", as was mentioned.....Kind of a sign of the times I would venture to say...

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jun 4, 2004

Typos happen. Just wish that people wouldn't focus on that so much. Heaven help it that people slip up.

bluesky, BSN, RN · Jun 4, 2004

Typos happen. Just wish that people wouldn't focus on that so much. Heaven help it that people slip up.

Well what made it funny was that she slipped up in the context of criticizing someone else for slipping up. :rotfl: :rotfl:

SCmomof3, RN · Jun 4, 2004

:imbar::) Again, I admit my error and stand here with egg on my face. That being said, I am still frustrated by my professor.