I'd just like to give a big thanks to professors everywhere, because it isn't an easy job and I think a lot of students don't appreciate that. I went to a large public university on the west coast, I graduated in 2004, and I had the luck to have pretty good professors on the whole. Most of the classes I had problems with were due to my own inattention, something I never made an excuse for. I often skipped classed I didn't like but needed for a requirement, unsurprisingly I often didn't do well in those classes: whose fault was that? Mine.
Professors: Thanks for putting up with that kind of bull from people like me who were only in your classes because the university decided we had to have so many hours of "multicultural" classes or any number of other things we didn't want to take in the first place. That's not your fault, that's on the administrators and the students. Also know that for every idiot who asks "do we have to do this?" or "am I going to be graded on spelling?" there are five or six, at least, who die a little on the inside.
Students: If you have general education requirements to fill, at least try to take something you think will be interesting. Don't be afraid to explore unfamiliar departments for classes with interesting synopses in the the course catalogue, and don't be afraid to drop classes you hate after the first couple of days. There are other classes. Staying in a class you hate, and this took me time to learn, will result in bad grades and a bad attitude. Also, fellow learners, try not to be jerks about things. You are not entitled to good grades, you are expected to complete the required coursework. And, this isn't primary school so don't have Mommy and Daddy call up because you're too stupid for college. You being a jerk makes things harder for those of us who aren't, and who put real effort into subjects we care about.
