What should I do? Trying to stay on a professor\'s good side...
 

Some backround:
So I'm taking this class right now, and so far out of the 9 times the class has met, I've skipped 4. (it's 5 days/week @ 9am) The professor definitely notices when I skip because there are only 8 students. There have been two assignments, of which the first I handed in a day late. When I handed it in late he seemed a little annoyed.

Well today I slept through class again and so I handed in my (second) assignment a couple hours after class got out. When I gave it to him, he gave a depressing sigh, looked at me and said:

"This is the second time...."

I apologized and said it wouldnt happen again. He didn't respond so I just said 'sorry' again and left his office.

Here's my question:
I'm going out of town for the 4th weekend so I will be missing class on Monday. I have failed to mention this to my professor and I am unsure how to go about it. Keep in mind I have missed 4 out of the 9 classes already and provided no explanation for my absence.

-Should I email him to tell him I'll be gone Monday?

-Should I include an apology (again) for the late assignments?

-Should I include and apology for the previous classes I missed? (I missed them becuase I slept through my alarm, should I provide a reason for why I skipped class?)

-Should I just do nothing at all?



What do you guys think? I'm trying to do the best thing to not get me on his bad side.

Re: What should I do?
 

You're already on his bad side.

You should bring back your Col. Sanders avatar.

Re: What should I do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
What do you guys think? I'm trying to do the best thing to not get me on his bad side.

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late for that. I would reread the syllabus to see what percentage of the grade if any comes from class participation/attendance and how much is deducted for late work. Assuming you are not already failing the class, I wouldn't tell the prof anything and then turn over a new leaf starting wednesday.

Bottom line, you have only yourself to blame for your predicament. The prof doesnt want to hear your BS in an email.

Re: What should I do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What do you guys think? I'm trying to do the best thing to not get me on his bad side.

[/ QUOTE ]

Too late for that. I would reread the syllabus to see what percentage of the grade if any comes from class participation/attendance and how much is deducted for late work. Assuming you are not already failing the class, I wouldn't tell the prof anything and then turn over a new leaf starting wednesday.

Bottom line, you have only yourself to blame for your predicament. The prof doesnt want to hear your BS in an email.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's kind of what I was thinking. Any email I send him, especially one full of apologies, will just come off as BS.

attendance/participation = 12.5% (there's still 4 weeks of class)

homework = 62.5% (there's still 6 assignments left) i think i get half credit for my late assignments

So I'm pretty sure I am not going to fail the class

Is saying nothing better than a short email saying I'll be gone monday, w/ no apologies and no BS?




[ QUOTE ]
You should bring back your Col. Sanders avatar.

[/ QUOTE ]
good idea

Re: What should I do?
 

Yes. Much better. If you are able to go to every class starting wednesday for the next 4 weeks then the prof will be in a position to forgive your early screwups or at least he will be more receptive to a BS explanation for your earlier truancy.

Re: What should I do?
 

1. be resposible and do what you need to pass this class. you are wasting money if you fail and need to retake. is sleeping in worth it?

2. be more specific in your subject heading so that it might envoke more discussion. i usually dont click on such cryptict subjects but i miscued.

Re: What should I do?
 

Why isn't handing the assignment in before you leave an option? If you're going to miss the class, that's fine, but at least get the assignment to him before you go out of town!

Re: What should I do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why isn't handing the assignment in before you leave an option? If you're going to miss the class, that's fine, but at least get the assignment to him before you go out of town!

[/ QUOTE ]

There is not an assignment due on Monday, so I'll just be missing lecture.

Re: What should I do?
 

HAH! I always click on the cryptic ones (and am usually disappointed). Can't help it.

Re: What should I do?
 

Don't send an e-mail apology or anything. Just show up to every class from now on, and hand in assignments early(if that's even possible).

Re: What should I do?
 

Any classes I took in university attendance was not mandatory so I see no problem in skipping classes if attendance isnt part of your grade. Handing in assignments late when you skip class a lot is stupid. If you skip class atleast make sure you hand stuff in on time and do a good job on the assignments. Any prof I had never cared if I came or not. I always handed stuff in on time and did a decent enough job.

I wouldn't say anything to him, I wouldn't make it a point to start going to class either. I would just start getting the stuff handed in on time. If attendance or class participation is worth some part of the grade that is the only part where your mark can be docked. So if it's something like 10-15% then you can stil get a good grade by doing well on the assignments/exams.

Re: What should I do?
 

E-mail him, no apology, to ask what is going to be covered so you're at least somewhat on top of it. This makes it seem as if you are at least making attempts, and if you show up to class from now on it'll look good.

Re: What should I do?
 

[ QUOTE ]
Any classes I took in university attendance was not mandatory so I see no problem in skipping classes if attendance isnt part of your grade. Handing in assignments late when you skip class a lot is stupid. If you skip class atleast make sure you hand stuff in on time and do a good job on the assignments. Any prof I had never cared if I came or not. I always handed stuff in on time and did a decent enough job.

I wouldn't say anything to him, I wouldn't make it a point to start going to class either. I would just start getting the stuff handed in on time. If attendance or class participation is worth some part of the grade that is the only part where your mark can be docked. So if it's something like 10-15% then you can stil get a good grade by doing well on the assignments/exams.

[/ QUOTE ]

I personally never cared whether students came to class or not--except for the fact that there was university policy requiring me to take attendance and care. If a student cut every class and still did excellent work on the assignments and tests, I would have been cool with that--but I never met a student who could in fact do that.

Judging from my colleagues and myself, your professor does not want to hear your whining and bs excuses for not doing what you are supposed to do when you are supposed to do it. I would cut zero slack for students who were chronically absent or late. If they couldn't be bothered, neither could I. I felt no responsibility for students who didn't hold up their end of the deal.

I would suggest either turning over a new leaf and attending every class and handing in every future assignment on time and in excellent shape or dropping the class in order to stop wasting your professor's time and energy.

BTW if I were your professor, I'd cancel class on Monday and substitute a library assignment or something similar in which the class time is made up at the student's convenience.

Re: What should I do? Trying to stay on a professor\'s good side...
 

You're presumably paying a lot for the class, spend the extra $15 and buy a super loud alarm clock.

I agree with whoever said dont bother emailing your teacher in advance, just show up the rest of the semester

Re: What should I do?
 

[ QUOTE ]

I personally never cared whether students came to class or not--except for the fact that there was university policy requiring me to take attendance and care. If a student cut every class and still did excellent work on the assignments and tests, I would have been cool with that--but I never met a student who could in fact do that.


[/ QUOTE ]

I never really understood the whole attendance thing. I found most of the time that going to the classes was a complete waste of time. Why spend 3 hrs listening to the prof ramble on and listen to many useless questions being asked by students when you could spend maybe 30-45 mins on your own covering the same stuff. I guess the classes may be useful for certain programs but mine was tech based(comp sci) and I found almost every class to be a utter waste of time.

Re: What should I do?
 

ive had this situation before. Email him, tellin him you'll miss class. hand in assignments on time, he might be docking points for assignments handed in late. and go to class, that full percentage of participation will really help out your grade

Re: What should I do?
 

Thanks for the advice everyone, I appreciate it. I'm going to spend the next 4 weeks kickin ass, and if i remember ill post my grade.