Pass What Class?

Before things get too far along this term it is important to take a minute or two right now to determine what class you are going to pass. All of them? Well by now you know stuff comes up on Planet College and as a student you often don't finish everything you start. At least not in the same term. So what class must you pass this term? This is important. Are you serious? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to pass this one class? If your answer is anything but yes you are probably wasting your time. And, it is your time.

What good will this do me?

What good will this do me? In the long trek towards graduation students realize almost every decision eventually bears on whether it will help them graduate or not. At least it should. If you are traveling this summer, taking a summer school course or just kicking back at home, think. How does this help me graduate? While you are on PlanetCollege this should be your primary thought about everything. Something to meditate on: what good does this behaviour, this event, this activity do me? Will this help me get to graduation? Well? Will it?

Planet college grade review.

All of your grades from last term have been posted by now. You've seen the results. And you've seen your GPA. How did it go? How did you do? Better? Better than ever? Better than average? Worse? Well? Here is another Planet College tip: Talk to the instructor of your lowest graded class. Now that there is nothing in it for you meaning, no hope of sucking up for a better grade, find her and ask her about your grade. Ask her about your performance in class, if she (or he) remembers. Track her down and campus sometime soon and say,'I'd like to talk about your class." Ask her what you might have done to earn a better grade. Just keep it a nice general friendly and brief conversation. Be polite and thank her for her time. Sometime later seriously review with your self what this instructor said. Did you miss important assignment dates. Were you not in class often. Did you sit near the rear entrance and IM your friends. How could you have improved your grade. It is probably just a few small things which can be easily corrected. Now that you know. Give it a try, you might learn something.

Your Instructor on Planet College

During your time on Planet College you will have many, many, many instructors. So, read this carefully.
Your instructor may be a professor, an assistant or associate professor, an instructor, a guest lecturer, part-time instructor or even a TA, a teaching assistant. Whoever they are and whatever they are called, they are the person who is responsible for assigning your grade. Pay careful attention to what they say during class. Pay careful attention to what they deem is important for the course. Examine the syllabus, course outline and every handout the instructor hands out. You are at a university, in a college, in a department, in a program and in a class to get a passing grade. Passing grades in your courses will enable you to finish your program, graduate with a degree and get a real job back on Planet Earth. Think about it. No more smelly roommates who stiff you for the cable bill, no more crappy old car that won't start when you’re late, no more waiting ‘till 2am to do your laundry, no more papers due, no more late fees, no more library fines. Sound worth it? OK then, quit staring out the window and get to work. Planet Earth is calling.

Planet College Warning: Incomplete

The grade of "incomplete" is a designation assigned to a student when all of the requirements of a course have not been met. Instructors sometimes offer these to a student who has not completed the work for the course. Before you accept this you may need to know that over half of all the Incompletes assigned turn to an F. You don’t need another F. So what ever it takes to complete the assigned work for the class during the term in which you are registered, do it. If you don’t complete the work while you are actually enrolled in the course what makes you think you’ll do it when you’re not enrolled?

Planet College Caution: Do What The Instructor Says

I once took a course, which required a series of individual in-class presentations from each student. The course outline said the first presentation should be between five to seven minutes. At the beginning of the class in which they were due the instructor said that he would be understanding if the first presentations went over time, even as much as two minutes. The presentations began and occasionally some students went over time. One or two even went to nine minutes. The instructor understood explaining that this was common for the first presentations in this course. That is until one student began her presentation and went on and on and on and on. She went well past the nine minute maximum and as the class grew more restless the instructor warned her to wrap it up soon. When she didn’t he finally stopped her at seventeen minutes. Seventeen minutes. I don’t know what grade she got for the presentation or for the course but I do know this is a blatant example of not doing what the instructor says. The course outline, the handout and the instructor had each said no more than nine minutes maximum. Yet this student persisted. Planet College often calls for basic co-operation and following instructor’s guidelines. These are usually for your benefit as well as the rest of the class. So always, read the course outline and do what the instructor says.

Planet College: Instructors

Your instructor may be a professor, an assistant or associate professor, an instructor, a guest lecturer, part-time instructor or even a TA, a teaching assistant. Whoever they are and whatever they are called, they are the person who is responsible for assigning your grade. Pay careful attention to what they say during class. Pay careful attention to what they deem is important for the course. Examine the syllabus, course outline and every handout the instructor hands out. You are at a university, in a college, in a department, in a program and in a class to get a passing grade. Your grade is assigned by your instructor. Do what the instructor says.