uni. prof, ask me anything

[Anonymous]

Is the university worth it for full pay UMI “donut hall” families who gets no financial aid?
Would you send your own kids there if you are full pay Vs state university ?

[Anonymous]

At what age did you learn to read? Were your parents UMC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Extremely weird and creepy school/class.
Kids usually says 'I'm from NYC", I played football, I like cats".

They don't say I went to such and such high school named XYZ which is private or public.



My kid has a copuple of classes with 16 kids and 19 kids.
I bet it was never said, and my kid never knows which ones went to public HS and which ones went to priviate HS.
Very weired school/class

Unless you are college profs, you really have no idea. What is really weird is PPs like you who drill down into details like this and think you know better than someone with 20 years’ experience. Your insecurities about sending your kid to public school are shining through.

I went to a college and a grad school, and also have college kids, so I have a good idea.
You are very weird.

Oh, like the vast majority of the board, you went to college! You have college kids! OP must be a liar because of your vast expertise. Your insecurity about sending your kids to private (despite the fact you are so educated but couldn’t afford it) is killing you. It’s not weird at all.

You don't need to be an expert at all.
Did you know what kind of HS your classmates went in your college classes?
Very weird and creepy people

When I went to college I absolutely knew what HS my classmates went to, because we quite naturally talked about it. Some of the kids still wore sweatshirts or t-shirts from their high school. It was especially interesting to learn about the HS experiences of the kids from Alaska.

If you think it's "creepy and weird" for 18 year olds to discuss with each other where they went to HS, there's something creepy and weird about you tbh.

Maybe that's the kind of conversations losers have in college. I wouldn't know. There are lots of other things to talk about any nobody knows or cares what your pathetic high school was. Just like in grad school nobody cares where you went to undergrad.

Yes we were all students at an elite SLAC but do tell us what losers we were.

And oh yeah in grad school they had grad student social events and we talked about where we went to undergrad.

Now, nobody "cared" where the other people went to high school or undergrad in these cases - it did not confer any particular increase or decrease of status - but it was something that normal non-sociopathic humans (i.e. not you) will discuss in a social situation (I know you never get in those but perhaps you've heard that others often do).

Sorry sweety I have an ivy league PhD. What's a Slack?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Extremely weird and creepy school/class.
Kids usually says 'I'm from NYC", I played football, I like cats".

They don't say I went to such and such high school named XYZ which is private or public.



My kid has a copuple of classes with 16 kids and 19 kids.
I bet it was never said, and my kid never knows which ones went to public HS and which ones went to priviate HS.
Very weired school/class

Unless you are college profs, you really have no idea. What is really weird is PPs like you who drill down into details like this and think you know better than someone with 20 years’ experience. Your insecurities about sending your kid to public school are shining through. [/

I went to a college and a grad school, and also have college kids, so I have a good idea.
You are very weird.

Oh, like the vast majority of the board, you went to college! You have college kids! OP must be a liar because of your vast expertise. Your insecurity about sending your kids to private (despite the fact you are so educated but couldn’t afford it) is killing you. It’s not weird at all.

You don't need to be an expert at all.
Did you know what kind of HS your classmates went in your college classes?
Very weird and creepy people

When I went to college I absolutely knew what HS my classmates went to, because we quite naturally talked about it. Some of the kids still wore sweatshirts or t-shirts from their high school. It was especially interesting to learn about the HS experiences of the kids from Alaska.

If you think it's "creepy and weird" for 18 year olds to discuss with each other where they went to HS, there's something creepy and weird about you tbh.

Maybe that's the kind of conversations losers have in college. I wouldn't know. There are lots of other things to talk about any nobody knows or cares what your pathetic high school was. Just like in grad school nobody cares where you went to undergrad.

Yes we were all students at an elite SLAC but do tell us what losers we were.

And oh yeah in grad school they had grad student social events and we talked about where we went to undergrad.

Now, nobody "cared" where the other people went to high school or undergrad in these cases - it did not confer any particular increase or decrease of status - but it was something that normal non-sociopathic humans (i.e. not you) will discuss in a social situation (I know you never get in those but perhaps you've heard that others often do).

Sorry sweety I have an ivy league PhD. What's a Slack?

Omg everyone knows what a slac is. You can’t google?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is the university worth it for full pay UMI “donut hall” families who gets no financial aid?
Would you send your own kids there if you are full pay Vs state university ?

It’s donut hole

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Extremely weird and creepy school/class.
Kids usually says 'I'm from NYC", I played football, I like cats".

They don't say I went to such and such high school named XYZ which is private or public.



My kid has a copuple of classes with 16 kids and 19 kids.
I bet it was never said, and my kid never knows which ones went to public HS and which ones went to priviate HS.
Very weired school/class

Unless you are college profs, you really have no idea. What is really weird is PPs like you who drill down into details like this and think you know better than someone with 20 years’ experience. Your insecurities about sending your kid to public school are shining through.

I went to a college and a grad school, and also have college kids, so I have a good idea.
You are very weird.

Oh, like the vast majority of the board, you went to college! You have college kids! OP must be a liar because of your vast expertise. Your insecurity about sending your kids to private (despite the fact you are so educated but couldn’t afford it) is killing you. It’s not weird at all.

You don't need to be an expert at all.
Did you know what kind of HS your classmates went in your college classes?
Very weird and creepy people

When I went to college I absolutely knew what HS my classmates went to, because we quite naturally talked about it. Some of the kids still wore sweatshirts or t-shirts from their high school. It was especially interesting to learn about the HS experiences of the kids from Alaska.

If you think it's "creepy and weird" for 18 year olds to discuss with each other where they went to HS, there's something creepy and weird about you tbh.

Maybe that's the kind of conversations losers have in college. I wouldn't know. There are lots of other things to talk about any nobody knows or cares what your pathetic high school was. Just like in grad school nobody cares where you went to undergrad.

Yes we were all students at an elite SLAC but do tell us what losers we were.

And oh yeah in grad school they had grad student social events and we talked about where we went to undergrad.

Now, nobody "cared" where the other people went to high school or undergrad in these cases - it did not confer any particular increase or decrease of status - but it was something that normal non-sociopathic humans (i.e. not you) will discuss in a social situation (I know you never get in those but perhaps you've heard that others often do).

Sorry sweety I have an ivy league PhD. What's a Slack?

You’re a teenage troll.

[Anonymous]

New poster, serious question. Can you do calculus?

[Anonymous]

My DC at a well-regarded SLAC just wrapped up a humanities class in which he wrote his final essay (exam) about his pro-life stance. This was the assignment; he did not randomly pick the topic. He's concerned about his grade because of course the professor disagrees with him. He's a strong writer and has been getting A- level grades on papers all semester. Do you think he has anything to worry about with regard to his grade in the class? How do you handle situations in class when you disagree with a student's point of view?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you heckle your children when they use improper grammar?

Prof kid here. Yes.

Ha! Another professor kid (2x over) and my science professor Dad will correct my grammar to this day. My humanities prof mom never did (and was a horrible speller like me, although award winning in Her field)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many years have you been teaching?

What changes have you seen in students over the years?

I taught a number of years during grad school at a big research uni (not my own), three years at my phd institution (top of the top) and then 13 years where I am now.

Overall, the students seem to have greater pressure to succeed financially. At the same time, the paths to that success are much more diverse. 15 years ago, it was clear tracks to big consulting firms, or banks, or other similarly defined institutions. Now the tech bulge has blown all that up. There are students who think they can do startups, live in the Maldives, and make billions.

Overall, students' abilities to interpret texts and analyze ideas has PLUMMETED.

They seem afraid. Honestly afraid that the world is on the precipice of falling apart.

At the same time, I'm honestly blown away by how much intellectual ability many of them have. If it can be shaped and directed in good ways, we have some hope for the future.

Also, general note: I see a substantial difference between student abilities coming out of private schools and out of public schools (esp. in the ability to read/interpret, think analytically, and in level of confidence). There are some standout public school students, but the numbers of top private school students outweigh the numbers of public school students (caveat: total anecdotal evidence from my own limited experience, but it's been consistently the case over 20 years).

Remember that those private school kids came from an advantaged upbringing to begin with.

By private do you mean Catholic and christian schools as well? These are generally that much more expense/have many financial aide students.

\

I mostly mean private/independent (and some of the Jesuit/Episcopal schools are like this), although thinking back I've had some very top stellar, smart students from more conservative, Christian schools.

How do you know where your students went to high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If a student goes to a mediocre public school, any ideas how they can learn to write better and practice analytical reading? My son is in an “honors for all” English class so there are students in that class reading and writing at a college level to elementary level. The result is that the class seems to be taught at a low level so everyone can keep up.

Yes--by careful class selection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is the university worth it for full pay UMI “donut hall” families who gets no financial aid?
Would you send your own kids there if you are full pay Vs state university ?

It’s donut hole

Oh no, not you people again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:R1, humanities field, with strong undergrads programs (think Brown, Gtown, Tufts). Fire away.

What does "R1" mean? Do you teach at a public university or private? How large is it? Is it in the DC area?

(Op here): Carnegie classifications for universities/colleges. R1 means a very high level of research output according to various benchmarks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What can we as parents do to make sure our kids are well prepared for college?

(Op here): The ones that I see succeed the best have a decent sense of their self-worth and are circumspect about the complexities of the world and what challenges other people face. They're curious. They can step back and relax even while they are very focused. And that have developed good reading and writing skills. And, cruciallyl, time management and self-direction skills. Smart kids flame out all the time because they are suddenly on their own without parental oversight and they never learned how to live without external coercion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since this is anon, answer honestly - Do you think tenure is really necessary, or a perk that is just a part of the profession?

(Op here): It's surprising how many of the luminaries at top institutions are hired by the president and bypassed tenure. It's also surprising how many well-regarded and research-active faculty there are who are full time but not on the tenure line. The only people who seem to care anymore about tenure are the ones with tenure who want to protect their guild.