Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Welcome to grownup land...

A lot of college students are very mature, capable of maintaining their grades in the changed learning environment, without anyone standing over them making them do it. Living in a dorm room, or an apartment, for the first time is a new and exciting experience for them, and they're more than up to the challenge.

But, not all of us are that way.

This morning, 8:00am class. Forty four students who should be there.

Forty showed up early.

One was late.

Three didn't even show up.

Its the *first day* people, how do you not show up to your first class on your first day?

I overheard a couple of girls in conversation about how hard it was to be out in the real world. After all, they had to walk all the way down to the cafeteria to get meals, and if the cafeteria wasn't open, all the way across campus to the bookstore, if *that* was even open!

No joke. These girls were whining because they had to leave their room to get a snack.

First off, as happy as I am to be back in school, I just can't see college as the "real world." Not the way a lot of these kids are doing it, living in the dorms, only having to worry about spending money, all that jazz.

Honey, your housing is paid for, your food is paid for, the most strenuous thing you're asked to do all day unless you're in one of the ag programs (and these girls weren't, one said she was a business major and the other was "taking art classes") is sit in a classroom and listen.

Please, stop complaining about how hard it is to get up in time for an 8:00 class, when you're at an 11:00 class still in your pajamas. You gals, and as far as I know anyone who isn't in one of the horse-related programs, get Friday, Saturday, and Sunday free. No classes. While I'll be getting up on Saturday and Sunday in time to be at a 7:30 class, that is, if I don't have feed crew at six in the morning and five at night.

That's not too much to ask, right? Just don't whine, 'cause some day, all of you are really going to be in the "real world" and you're going to realize just how cushy you had it.

These are the things that I wanted to say, but didn't.

Be proud of me, Farmmom... I can keep my mouth shut, sometimes.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a young man that works with me that will be starting his second year for his second degree. He's, for lack of a better term, a dynamo. Works long hard days on his days off, works part time when he's not in school, and passes his courses with A's and B's. He spent the majority of his younger years working cattle with his grandparents and neighbors. He's spent the last 6 years working construction. Due to his demeanor, he never hesitates to tell some of his classmates what candy a@@es they are. I wish I could record the conversations. It would be better than any comedy show.

FarmGirl said...

I'm trying to behave until I can get a sense of who's going to get over it and buckle down, and who just wants the degree without having to work for it.

Anonymous said...

When I was in the 8am Political Science class... going on three years ago... there were kids dragging in in the pajamas and sitting there half asleep. The professor and I tended to talk some before and after classes... he told me out of about 25 people, everybody else looked like they were mad at him. And all he did was have an 8am class because he had to.

Also, Bill O'Reilly had a segment on the Factor about this... his guest was saying a large percentage of college students don't go to sleep until 3am. Notice I said "sleep"; not that they're not in bed, but they're getting very little sleep. They're spending way too much energy studying inapplicable subjects. It does take a toll on their grades.

mustanger

Anonymous said...

Actually, at my school anyway, it was common for people to miss the first class or two due to scheduling mess ups. We didn't have 8am classes, but the freshman had a "tradition" of "zero hours" - quizzes at 8am, two a week rotating on the four core classes (calc, chemistry, physics, and computers - I went to an engineering school).

Farmmom said...

lmao What would these kids do if they had to get up at 3 AM to be at work at 5 and set up a 2 mile closure that they are gonna have to move about 6 times and get off work about 7 or 8 PM another 1 1/2 drive home and do it all over again tomorrow? And they think they are in the real world? Oh Sweety I needed that laugh!

FarmGirl said...

I know, right?

I just hope I can keep my mouth shut when we start putting pens together, I know that a couple of those girls are going to be pissy about getting their hands dirty.

Sure, that Cruel Girl shirt and jeans look mighty cute in the class room.. but you're at the barn. You're gonna get dirty, you're gonna get caught on something.

So why in the world are you wearing something with freaking rhinestones on it?!?

Barbara said...

I remember when (you would have still been in diapers) a girl who lived down the hall from me had her Mommy call and tell the dean that she really shouldn't be expected to get up so early as to go to an 8:00 class. Hey. Chick signed up for it. She should go.

Anonymous said...

Personally, everyone should get at least one day of setting, minding and removing the traffic control from an interstate. After a day of working 2 feet from 70 mph traffic, they either will appreciate those that make their living doing this, or run screaming like 8 year olds.

Also, I think anyone that knocks down verticle panels or barrels should be stopped at the end of the setup, the entire lane stopped, and the offender allowed to wander back through the setup with a dunce hard hat, and a vest with "I can't keep between the lanes". After this experience, I think very few would make that mistake.

Farmmom said...

I agree jon.... I've always said that it should be mandatory that you had to work traffic control for a day or two before getting your licence.
I love your idea on the vest and dunce hat. Suits my warped sense of humor!

Anonymous said...

I hate to tell y'all, when I was in school I partied all the time (4-5 days a week), stayed up late, missed my classes A LOT. I also felt sorry for people who studied their ass off, especially in some liberal arts, home making BS major. Oh, I forgot to mention: I did graduate. With a BSME. (Mechanical Engineering). Any of you want to compare paychecks? Its fine if you want to be there bright and early, but what's the point? I have had a blast at school, still managed to graduate. I felt sorry for students who were so involved in school that they had not time for fun. My behavior did not affect people like you, so whatever happened to live and let live? I guess the same people who laugh at the "better than you" attitudes a of university athlete in a previous post, all of a sudden develop the same "I am better then you because I'm hard working and dedicated" attitude as soon as they feel superior to someone else.

Nice!

FarmGirl said...

No, I simply feel that if someone puts *themselves* in a position of having an 8:00am class, they need to suck it up and not complain about what they did to *themselves.*

Congratulations on graduating and receiving your degree, and I'm glad that you were able to do so and have fun at the same time.

But that better than you attitude you're talking about? It's showing in *you* when you talk about comparing paychecks.

I don't think that I'm better than these girls, just that I've had experiences that they have yet to have. I do find it annoying and frustrating when people don't appreciate the opportunities that they have handed to them, when I've had to bust my butt to get this far in my life.

BTW, thanks for reading.

Anonymous said...

Whiners abound all over.

I took a full load plus two in college so I wouldn't have to stay 6 years (AS plus BA without having to transfer). That meant 11 and a half months of school a year. I started at 0700 (!), stayed until 1800, worked from 1900-0100, Monday through Friday, the worked at a different job 0600-1800 on Saturday and Sunday. None of it was work study, either.

3 and 3/4 years of that, no vacations. Hell, on school vacations, I worked 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I paid every last nickel myself, no loans and no help from family.

All through school, I got crap from fellow students who whined about having to take a 3/4 or even (gasp) full load. With no job on the side.

Pay no attention to the whiners. Most of them dropped by the wayside by the end of the first year.

Anonymous said...

Actually your type of behavior does affect me. Fair engineers are fair designers, unless they drop their "whatever" attitude and seek excellence in their work. I repair their mistakes and pity their ignorance.

Contrary to your perception of paychecks, I've never worked with any engineer that makes more than me except for the good engineers that own their own company.

How's that smartass?

Farm.Dad said...

Anonymous ( the first one ) qualified for his B.S. in one post lol . Dont worry about the " Buckle Bimbos " FG if they whimper too much for ya tell them they can help ya preg check heffers next spring .

Yes poo it is me , like mom i bowed to the necessity of an account seeing where all blogger posts are going .

FarmGirl said...

I kind of feel powerful, now.

Not only do I influence my parent's net surfing habits, but they've created ID's based solely around a blog I created as an experiment.

Anonymous said...

Is it just me or do those girls... the ones wearing Cruel Girl clothes in class and whining at the barn... sound like spoiled horse show kids who're used to looking good and winning all the time? If so, they're probably just attracted to glitter, but don't know anything about real ranching/cowboying... probably just in love with their own reflection in the window or pool of water.

BTW, my perception of the Cruel Girl brandname... Well, when I sell an Atwood hat, it's somewhere between $24 and $40. One lady here was looking at my stock and told me Cruel Girl's palm straw hat, which she bought, was $70. So this brandname thing... it's mostly just to charge more based on cool factor. This might give some clue as to who's buying what.

I agree with getting them "Miss Prisses" to help you preg check cows. But if that's too dirty for 'em I can also think of some more work they wouldn't like that ain't so dirty. Send 'em my way and I'll teach 'em how to make tack and chaps. They probably won't like building calluses pulling the saddlestitching tight one at a time either. The difference is one's dirty and the other makes your hands hurt till you get used to it... if it don't get bloody by neglect.

Whinin's whinin'. Don't we have a $5 fine for that?

mustanger

Farm.Dad said...

FG i just decided that my other google/blogger id was not likely approprate , gunsmith nics dont fit hun lol

Anonymous said...

Actually, at my college, there's at least a few people who don't show up to the first week of classes. They figure nothing important ever gets done the first week, so they'd rather stay at home either sleeping or doing something else unproductive.

Apparently it's worked for one of them, given that he graduated in June. Not recommending it, just giving a possible explanation.

I myself can't stand missing classes. Even when I don't want to go, I end up going to them half an hour earlier than I need to.

HollyB said...

When I was goin' to college I was older than avg.; was pregnant my 1st two semesters; and then had two kids to take care of the rest of my time.
The kids who were in class straight out of high school, going on Daddy's money who were late, hungover, bored or talked to their friends during class just ticked me off endlessly.
I just finally would turn around and hiss, "I'm paying for this class MY OWN SELF. Would you please SHUT UP so I can hear the professor and not your drivel!" No problems after that. I even had a few instructors thank me for saying what they couldn't say.
So if they disturb your classroom experience...just shush them. And get on with the job of learnin' all you can.