From Piled Higher and Deeper

This is a common problem on a lot of campuses...I tend to come down on the union side, but I've heard some pretty compelling arguments from both camps.

Students! Or, rather, this one student in particular! Bah! We were already about half-way through the semester before she realized just how lost she was in class, and then, rather than coming to my office hours, or even sending a polite e-mail regarding her potentially legitimate conflict with my office hours, she just sent this brief note demanding two hours of my time on a random day of the week that was convenient for her. When I finally negotiated a shorter meeting that actually fit into my schedule she was late. Then she missed nearly all of the review I held for her class and showed up in my office later that day (again outside of office hours) and basically asked me to repeat the whole thing I'd done that morning but that she couldn't be troubled to attend. She repeatedly sets up meetings with me and fails to show up and continues to try to 'book' time with me, as if expecting me to commit undivided attention for her and turn away other students!

Now before I get the lecture about saying no and providing boundaries, I am working to do that with this student. When I say she repeatedly misses meetings with me, one was set up by the prof of the class so she could take an exam she had missed, and since the second time she's missed a meeting with me I have insisted that she just come to office hours. But that's when she ends up trying to monopolize my time. Bah! Like Carrie, I have so many students whom I genuinely enjoy, and most of the time I really like teaching...but these few really annoying students are ruining the batch!

Random Musings from Therapy this morning:

1) health insurance in general, and my student insurance specifically, rocks. And no, I'm not trying to rub other people's noses in their lack of insurance, merely point out how cost prohibitive things are for the uninsured: After a $200 deductible my insurance will cover 80% of all my therapy sessions (I switched out of the freebie student counseling today) meaning after two sessions my co-pay becomes $18.
1a) this also means I can swing the cost of keeping myself sane(r) and don't have to have an awkward conversation with the parents about needing money

2) I've always described my family as one in which there is a high premium placed on academics, but (surprisingly) today was the first time someone said, wow. school problems is a surprising reason for a marriage to hit the rocks. And you know what? It was and it is. And it was a nice confirmation and a relief to hear someone else say it.

3) While I may be pretty good at the art of being nice to myself externally (Carrie is right - I know when to take a night off, spend hours in a bubble bath, and generally pamper myself) I'm not so good and being nice to myself mentally. Being forgiving of sloppiness and mistakes...that's a whole hell of a lot harder.

Somehow another week has managed to slip past me. I didn't even realize that I'm leaving for Texas this weekend until Kathy reminded me! She says, oh, but you're leaving town soon, and I said no, not until next week, but in reality I have to have to my shit together in 5 days! Five days featuring the fall sangria and tapas mixer, my first review session for that CDC class, and a U2 concert! Not that I'm complaining...just wishing I had another week.

The highlight of this weekend was being Shelby's plus one at Vinocity - the open bar meant discovering a tasty new wine, Malbec, and downing about six glasses or so! Afterward it was back to his place for more red wine and Constantine - granted, I was drunk and tired, but I have no idea what happened in that movie. Anyone want to explain it?

Meanwhile, I'm still making up with Cleo for 'cheating' on her with Shelby's dog Sara.

Yeah, so, in case I don't get back here, for the couple of you who fear I'm dead when I disappear from aim and blog, I'll be in Texas with the family for all of Thanksgiving week...wish me luck.