Fun with Students

One quick story and a short email exchange:

It's been fun this past week, the end of the first two weeks of classes. Closed classes, serious students, 20,000 waitlisted seats in one district, etc. So, on Wed., about 15 minutes after class got out (during my 'office' hours) and after I had just finished adding 2 students and going over the syllabus, 3 guys wander into my classroom. here's the conversation:

    "hi. can we add this class?"

I'm very suspicious as to their motives, so I ask: "What class do you think this is?"

    "uh, psychology?"

    "no"

he (looking around and noticing the map on the wall), said somewhat triumphantly: "geography!"

    "no"

a note of desperation creeps into his voice "uh, English??!?"

    "no"

At that point I broke down laughing and said: "well, we could be here all day while you guess. It's anthropology."

    "oh. can we add the class? we need it to keep our insurance."

I said they could, and they went outside to confer. One came back in and said he wanted to add, and then after we went over the syllabus and he went out to talk with his friends, the other two came back in and they wanted to add. I told them I was exhausted and I was hoarse, so if they emailed me I would send them an add code.

One did email me, but I decided to make him come to class Monday where I'd give him the add code in person. He actually did show up, and is in the class.

Yesterday I got an email from a kid who wanted to add one of my other classes. I replied, by email: which class?
He or she answered: either astronomy or anthropology. I replied: I'm teaching THREE anthro. classes at this college. which one do you want? They never did email me back; perhaps their astronomy teacher was less demanding.
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So, the moral is, for those of you who have 18-22 yr. old children, or will have: they're ok. The kids are all right. Their life is stressful and they don't have the skills yet to manage it, but they try. And half of their teachers love them.