It's Spring, Finals are approaching and Sucking Up is in the air.

With finals approaching or underway and final grades due to be posted soon the annual spring ritual is blossoming in full on campuses across the country. The annual spring ritual is, of course, sucking up, brown nosing, butt kissing or however it is designated on your campus.

Suddenly find you are getting a D minus in Statistics and probably failing that "easy" First Aid class? Time to swing into action. E-mails, phone messages, even notes to the instructor proclaiming your enchantment with her and her subject are all part of the ritual. This along with mournful decries of protest about your way-too-busy schedule usually are a part of the package.

The purpose? To salvage some kind of decent grade, your financial aid for fall and possibly your college career.

The thing about sucking up is it is so pathetically obvious. Every instructor gets her or his share of it. Every term. And curiously most of them would actually like to help. But. You have to give them something to work with other than a tearful,"Please don't fail me."

OK, so you have a class or two you have neglected and now it is too late to drop. Try this. Get some time to talk to the professor, instructor, TA or whoever is responsible for your grade. This is going to take ten minutes, not more. Track them down at their office if they have one. Talk to them after class. Whenever. Tell them you need some time to talk about their course. When you get their attention say this, " I want to know what I need to do to pass this class." Simple and to the point. If you feel you need to supply some reason why you've neglected attending, haven't turned in papers or skipped tests do so. But. Don't make it elaborate and don't make it anyone else's fault. Just keep it simple and show you've learned a lesson and your willing to try.

In order to be convincing you will probably need to bring a notebook and possibly your work so far. If the instructor has time you two can go over whatever work you actually have done. Keep the emphasis on what you can do now. When she starts to explain your position and what you can do actually look attentive. Then, write down what she says. Like it says give her something to work with.

Then. Go do it. Whatever the instructor says. Take the time now to do the best you can with whatever is left of the term. That is it. Make a sincere effort. Turn in what you do. Make a reasonable attempt to prepare up for the final. Actually show up for the final. (You may know more than you think). And hope for the best.

Who knows? You just might pull a passing grade out after all.

This works much better than traditional sucking up. Much better. Way much better.