Posted in Ed but need responses by the am I'm going to send this to my college lecturer will he be sympathetic or just think Im pathetic???

[dappledownfarmnamechanger]

Dear lecturer,

I am getting quite over -whelmed for these reasons,

I work all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday & Friday all day, I also work Wednesday mornings until 12, when I am in college for the rest of the afternoon and Tuesday evenings.

When we (teachers) were on the school placement, on top of a full week at the school, I had to fit my working hours in to the week by working evenings and all through the weekend, I am finding that, because I now have not had one free day since the start of this term, I am starting to struggle, there is no way I can take time off work because I wouldn't be able to afford it.

During half term I have to continue to work full-time. As a result of the unrelenting pressure, this term, I have started to feel quite run-down and ill.

Would it be possible to spend tomorrow morning and Wednesday afternoon's lesson, productively catching up and getting things in order, or would I do myself a dis-service if I don't come in?

Sorry to land this garbled message on you but as I hope you appreciate, I'd rather speak up when things are starting to get on top of me rather than wait until further down the track.

Regards,
Dappledownfarmnamechanger

Oh dear

He does sound pissed off with you

Oops

Nah, he's not pissed off, he just doesn't care!

Can you get some more support from student services though?

That response sounds as if he assumes students can treat his classes as optional, or as if he thought you were asking to miss all the classes between now and the exam!

I think he comes into work and gets a barrage of emails from his 150 sudents and answers them all quickly before lessons, I think he only just remembers who we are
He does have the air of a slightly burnt out teacher too but he's alright

TBH I prefer the hands-off ones, at least he didn't make you go five rounds of 'but aren't you filled with the joys of learning and what is this 'money' you say you need'?

I'm a teacher rather than a lecturer, but I always feel a bit when I am asked will it matter if my lesson is missed. Makes me wonder what they think I'm there for. However, I think it sounds like he isn't bothered. Do you have registers taken? Would he have known if you hadn't turned up?

I wouldn't read too much into the response, it is what it is.

He's probably not that interested in your problems but is fair enough to say 'fair enough' and mention what you HAVE to do.

I wish I was so succinct as him. Sounds like a fair man of few words. Bit like my old lecturer who visibly shrivelled at the mention of any personal problems, counsellor he was not, fair definitely!

Now then Dapple you've got the green light, gerrof here and go and catch up productively

I'm a lecturer, and I think his response indicates less that he's off-handed and unsympathetic, than that he's trying to respond to lots of student mails within a brief period. I can easily get 200 work emails a day, half of which need some form of response.

I'd be entirely sympathetic to your situation, OP, which isn't unusual. However, if it started to happen regularly, while I'd still be sympathetic, I'd be asking you to think about other possible ways of juggling things - I had a student last year who worked full-time as he was supporting a family and paying his fees, but it meant he wasn't able to attend any lectures and seminars that took place between 9 and 5 (ie the vast majority). He was running himself ragged to pay for a degree that he wasn't actually really doing, because he was treating it like a correspondence course and just handing in the written assignments...

DISASTROUS DAY
Today my friend mailed me to tell me there was a Biology exam on this afternoon, so I assessed the options and went in for it, bumped into my morning lecturer (the one I sent the email to)
He just responded to my email with Ok

He was really shirty with me (fair enough) he said why are you here now? I said I had just found out there was a test on and I didnt want to make myself more behind, he laughed in my face I am 30 years old

I then asked him why I hadn't been informed about the university open day tomorrow to which the smug idiot rplied, 'you are an adult it's your responsibility to decide if you want to go or not'
I said no one has told me it was on, he then just stormed off.
Oh this is such a mess now he doesn't trust me doesn't respect me, has no faith in my abilities and as hes my tutor I cant ask him ANYTHING crap day at office.

You need to talk to someone else about him.

I don't know the situation so it's difficult to know whether or not he's right you should have known about the open day. Was it not publicized on the university website or anything similar?

As well, if you're finding out about an exam from a friend - there is a problem here. How did your friend know, did s/he get an email, or check a timetable, or was it announced when you weren't there? If you're not receiving information you should be being given, you need to report it IMO.

I am sounding a bit harsh I know, but he does sound like a total wanker (very unprofessional to laugh at you). There must be someone else you can go to to talk about this. If he is failing to inform you of things and being inappropriate, you need someone in the department/student services to know this is happening. If you're missing things because of your heavy work commitment, you need to let them know as well, because they may be able to help. It sounds as if it's a bit of both maybe?

Is there a possibility he's annoyed because you work as well as study? I know there are often caps on the time students should work.

I do sympathize, and I will be drafting a similar email to my supervisor today for having done very little work over the last few weeks because both DS and me have been struck by persistant illnesses.

I think his response of 'you're an adult etc' is correct. You are and your email was letting him know of your circumstances. If he isn't sympathetic and you still feel you want to mention your difficulties to someone,

could you identify another lecturer? Or go outside the department. Most colleges/universities have student support and might be able to advise. You won't be the first or last person who has had these types of blips and it'll be worth it eventually.

It all sounds a bit all over the place. You didn't know about the exam, or the open day. I don't think you should spend any more time worrying about this lecturer, he won't be the one marking that Biology exam, and he doesn't have a lot of time to sort out your timetable, just get on with reading all your emails and making a diary of significant events you really need to attend (do you need to attend the open day, for example?)

I totally get working full-time and doing a course is overwhelming, but ultimately, if you are not able to keep up with the course, you won't be able to pass, plus if you are doing this as a way of getting on a university course and still working, how will that work?

Lecturers are usually quite sympathetic to a point, and in fairness your lecturer did give you the time off (I read that as a quick reply and not rude). However, there's a limit about what the basic requirements are (in terms of what you have to attend for compulsory courses, exam and assignments, how much you can work). They can't really change that.

Try to keep it together this week, attend the compulsory/absolute must requirements such as exams, and write out a timetable so you are not constantly on the back foot with planning.

It will be worth it in the end!

Speaking as a lecturer... I think that my students are adults and their use of the time and ressources that is available to them is their job. If for whatever reason they feel that their time is better spent elsewhere that's their call. The most I will do is explain clearly to them what they have to do and give advice about how to do it. But I certainly wouldn't have a problem with a student who was in paid emplyment missing a few classes, provided it was clearly understood what they had to do to keep up. I would probably even volunteer help for them, via email or in person.

However, I would not expect a student to find out when an exam was in the morning of the test in question, and I would probably be quite annoyed with any student for whom that was the case - unless of course there had been no announcement at all of the test, in which case the university is very unreasonable. I wouldn't laugh at them though. How come you didn't know earlier ? Were you not in class when it was announced, or were you not checking boards/emails? And if you're thirty, finding out about and attending open days of institutions you are interested in is your job - I assume you're not at the unviersity in question if you want to attend their open day? I probably would explode if a student got shirty with me for not doing it for them.

It was only a Biology test and (smug) I got the highest mark (only highlight of the day!)

He is a horror, once, when I asked him if he could clarify the Harvard referencing system, he laughed said 'Jesus' and just walked off.

I can't be bothered to focus on what a horrible institutionalized ejit he is because as they say, 'keep your friends close your enemies closer.'

Because I'm the only student who is part time sometimes information doesn't get to me, I would expect him to tell me if I don't need to be in that day because everyone's going for this university taster day, I had already agreed to work this am because I had no lessons this morning.

Such a prevalent pattern in my life to be singled out and bullied, but I have no time to navel gaze as I just need to get all this blinking work done!

It's hard when you have no support from anyone

Just to give you a measure of the sort of person he is, yesterday (a lady on my course who is a mother and lovely was standing outside the lift when this lecturer said to her "you should be getting the lift")

When he questioned the class about whether they'd ever been to the central Livrary in town and soem people said they hadnt he said well next time youre in town, instead of heading straight for Primark try going in and looking at the central library such a snob

So needless to say I don't like him either but that has nothing to do with my ability to pass the course

Sorry..
"you should be taking the stairs"- she took it offensively because she thought he was implying that she was fat.

Congratulations on the test result!

He does sound like a total wanker. Mind you, if one of my students asked me to clarify a referencing system, I would be a bit bemused - it's not his job, there are loads of published guides available. And if you are part time, it's your job to find out when you need to be in, not his to tell you your timetable. But then, I don't see how you are expected to know that if he doesn't bother to explain patiently - it is his job to let you know there are referencing guides, and it is his job to tell you you need to take charge of your own timetable.

Are you going to discuss his attitude with someone? I really, really would as it is really not right he's being so rude.

(Btw, just so you know, I would clarify a reference system if someone really wanted me to because it's no skin off my nose to do so ... it's just more sensible for you to find a published guide as then you can consult it over and over.)

He sounds a cock. 'jesus' isn't a response I would expect from a lecturer when asked a reasonable question. He couldve guided towards resources etc. And as for the 'rather than primark' comment - patronising tosser.