Posted by alexandra_k on August 20, 2005, at 16:50:11
In reply to Re: pact » Declan, posted by alexandra_k on August 20, 2005, at 16:26:37
> and hopefully its bye bye to the undergrads
> :-)sorry... i should explain that. most undergrads don't care. we get a lot on student exchange programs from the us or canada and asia etc. some of them are here on their oe. they do a lot of travelling and drinking (drinking age being 18) and they do bugger all work. most of the courses aren't even credited to their degrees back home, so why bother?
and there is a general attitude of complacency... people feel that they 'should' do one degree before hitting the workforce. but they don't really care about the subject.
and we get a lot taking phil. papers because they think it sounds like an interesting and fun option. and philosophy turns out to be a little harder than they had supposed... its not just sitting around chatting about the meaning of life...
and... though this is changing... there used to be a 'bums on seats' funding policy. that means pressure to pass students. so there are more bums on seats the following year. i am appalled at what constitutes a pass. especially when you can tell from tutorials that someone has ability but chooses to do an assignment in the half hour before it is due and they manage to scrape a pass.
but now its becoming pbrf funding. thats publication based research funding. and now our uni is going down the toilet after having worried about bums on seats for so long.
i hate that.
i hate it that i worked my *ss off at this stupid institution.
but that being the best here is worth precisely nothing anywhere else.
and that my grades here are worthless.
and that i spend so long trying to understand the views of people whos peers dont even credit them all that much.and that i spend my time trying to reinforce what they choose to put in the course outline. even when i disagree with what they are saying sometimes, and when i see students come up with really good points that they pass over because they don't even understand what the students are saying.
officemate (who got a contract lecturing post last semester) says its a lot different when you get to be the lecturer. because you get to decide what to teach. being a tutor you are just a general dogsbody really.
i enjoy the students who are genuinely interested
as for the rest of them...
maybe this is harsh...
but they are just wasting my time.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:543298
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20050722/msgs/544461.html