To wonder WTF has happened to students?!

[CharminglyOdd]

I'm 25 and finished my studies (for good!) just over a year ago so have bits and pieces of uni experience over the last seven years. DP does some teaching at a university where they have a sister college in another town. Students at the uni who want to take his module have to travel to the sister college, which is vocational (they can combine the two). Some asked for a meeting and so he arranged to meet them at X cafe at 1730. I've just had a text from him to say that they didn't know where X cafe was (it's in our, and their, home town where the main uni is that they travel from every week) so instead of Googling it or asking him they trekked out to the sister town and have spent the last half an hour wandering around trying to find it. They are on their way back now to meet him and he's going to be very late home (he teaches one class and doesn't have an office before anyone suggests that).

There are other things that have happened, including requests for more clarification on assignments (which I have done, he has done, nothing wrong with that) but when they are not satisfied with the answer they email again, and again, and it becomes apparent that what they are really after is the answer to the question. A large proportion submitted assignments that failed the plagiarism software even though they knew the software existed and it's not got a low bar for detection AND they have plagiarism talks rammed down their throats (I know because I did and I got heartily sick of it)

Any other examples are too specific but, in all honesty, I don't think this many students were like it when I started only a few years ago. I wouldn't have pulled half the stuff they pull - I had too much respect for (most of!) my lecturers.

It's not the majority of students but still a pretty depressing proportion. I don't know how on earth they think some of this stuff is reasonable behaviour. And I'm pissed off because I'm hungry, he was due home ten minutes ago and it's eating into our time together (I work away, got tomorrow off so home early!).

Maybe I do read too much into your posts. But, you did say it was a 'contradiciton in terms'. There is no reading in that I could do, with that phrase, that it wouldn't shock me. In fact, I have to read in from what I know about you, to modify by first response.

You didn't say 'it's only my opinion', and it wasn't remotely the same thing as saying you're sure there are decent novels by African authors. You said African literature was a contradiction in terms. I know you know what those words mean, and I can see you just meant it as hyperbole, but I couldn't not comment on it after I'd seen it, because it is a shocking thing to say.

Yes, but that comment is borderline racist. I know you didn't intend it to be, and I am trying to say this very gently (and I wouldn't dream of reporting it because I do know you wouldn't mean it like that).

But to say African literature is a contradiction in terms is really awful. I'm sorry, I'm being very humourless but I am really shocked by it, and I don't see what that has to do with what else you read on MN. I rarely read statements like that.

Haven't read whole thread.

Perhaps the lack of summer jobs nowadays means that future students haven't had the opportunity to get out in the real world much. I worked summers from age 16 to leaving home. Doubt there is the chance of that now and that would be a big loss to teens.

I agree, LRD, about that comment. I'm glad you said something.

I'm surprised that no - one has trotted out 'Academically smart people have no common sense' yet.

I'm on the fence. I know some very clever people who are also very organized and some classic batty professor types.

One the whole I like to give people the benefit of the doubt though, everyone says/does/thinks daft things at times.

For example, I remember a uni mate trying to have a discussion with me about coup - d'etats in Fiji (we studied International Relations) and me thinking WTF through the whole thing, as I had somehow forgotten Fiji was a country and thought that a Fiji was a little fuzzy bird (Kiwi birds!)

lafata You made me laugh out loud!

I was at university 20 years ago

At one point I had a 9am lecture on the other side of town! How the hell did they expect me to get there in time, eh? It was compulsory too, the unreasonable gits.

I do remember writing essays out longhand and then having to queue for a computer to type it up. Everyone has laptops these days.

I lived without a telephone for a year. I washed my clothes in the bath. In halls we had communal toilets/showers (but if you were desperate you could pee in your sink)

i have no idea why that posted again when i opened up thread

anyway...

was going to say re African Literature: JM Coetzee, Disgrace. If you haven't read it, you should.