Students.....

I don't know what it is, but my students have been irritating the crap out of me lately. I have heard every excuse in the book about why assignments are late. I even have one student contact me a week late telling me that they have been sick and are just now turning in the assignment. I hate to be mean, but I emailed this student back and said that I don't accept late work and that I needed to sit down and talk to this student as soon as possible because I am unsure if this person can pass my class. It is especially irritating because this student OBVIOUSLY has not bothered to look at the syllabus because they missed the midterm. (If you are wondering why I am being ambiguous, it's because I have to be. I can't give any identifying information about the student - male or female - due to confidentiality issues). In any case, when I was a student, there was NO WAY on God's green earth that I was EVER this clueless. Why are students so lame? I can't believe, nor will I ever understand, how a person at a college (which is not cheap by the way) can be so irresponsible. Even when I was 18 I had a professional job, paid for all of my bills including ALL college expenses and I went to school full time. I don't understand how someone can go to a college and not be responsible with their classes? This semester is not the first time I have seen this either. However, this is the first time I have had a student contact me repetitively about turning assignments in late and "wanting a second chance". I am all about second chances, but not in this case. Once a person proves themselves to be irresponsible, that's it. I have no more sympathy for that student. I know it sounds heartless, but with 150 students, and tons of excuses, I am simply sick of it.

I hate to be so negative, but I just can't take it anymore.

On a bit of a different note, I decided on an insurance plan (I think). From what I understand, I should go with the HMO instead of the PPO because the PPO is pretty darn expensive - almost double of what the HMO is. And, to top it off, Shawn's company is going to be covering the bill for the next couple of years and that gets deducted directly off the bottom line. So essentially what that means is less cash in our pockets in the future. I actually have the same insurance plan right now, except this plan is MUCH better than the one that I have now. The last 'manager', if I can really call him that, really screwed the company over with a HORRIBLE insurance plan before he left. He adopted a really bad plan just so he can save a few hundred dollars every month. Not a good person to say the least. In fact, he borrowed money from me and then moved across the US. What a freak!! You live and you learn I guess. I kind of knew at the time that he wasn't going to pay me back - it's a risk I took. But I gave him the money anyway because he really needed it.

I promise the next post will be more positive!!! :) I still feel extremely fortunate that I have health insurance at the very least.