Below is a paraphrase of an actual letter sent to a friend of mine. This student attends a very expensive four year college.
Dear Professor:
I am writing to you today to let you know I will not be taking the final exam tomorrow. As you know, I haven't been in class more than three times this semester, but this has not been my fault. You requested medical documentation and I gave my doctor permission to talk to you. Please call him at 516 -XXX-XXXX. I would have been ready for the final if you e-mailed me the chapters I had to study. As for the homework I owe you, they have been scanned and are attached. I know they were due the last day of class, but that is too bad. There are only 12 attached so it should not be a problem for you to download them and then mark them all.
Let me know when I can take this exam and what I should study. I don't know what I did with the syllabus you handed out and since I haven't been in class, I don't know what has been covered. Please don't schedule it before 10:00 AM or after 2:00 PM. Also, Mondays and Fridays are not good days for me.(Pictured above it the Yeti from Sak's holiday window.)
Thank you. I plan on applying to medical school and really need an A in this class. My dean will be speaking to you.
Sincerely yours,
Biggest Loser in College Today
5 comments:
Oh, we need to see the redacted original of this... it is entirely believable (unfortunately) but others would need proof to understand the culture of entitlement.
unfortunately, I believe this. I'm surprised, though, that the student didn't have his parent deliver this letter. That the days and times for the final really do remind me of some of the young people I have had to work with through committees, volunteer work.
dkzody, I am amazed the parent didn't write the letter and send it to the dean, completely bypassing the professor.
And the sad thing is this probably worked in high school.
I have kids who tell me almost daily "I don't feel like working today" or "I'm not going to take the test because I wasn't here." (No you were suspended because you refuse to follow rules and haven't lifted even an eyebrow to figure out what you missed.)
Calling parents today to explain mathematically why they will not be passing.
Sorry, but I just don't believe this one. I've heard all sorts of stories over my career, but there's just too much in this one to be believable: missing most of the classes, expecting the prof to call the doctor, expecting the prof to email the chapters, sending the HW late, losing the syllabus, dictating the time and days of the exam, expecting an A only. Nope, sorry, but that's just too much.
Am I just missing the sarcasm?
It is an exageration, but the message is what was sent.
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