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Ouch, some hard time management lessons being learned...

Hilltopmom
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quark

quark

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I am dancing!!!! For the second day now. 😂

 

Awesome! I'm home alone for the next 2 weeks with the canine members of the family while the rest of our small family visits Asia. Wish we lived close and we could salsa together.

 

DS managed to finish everything on Thursday including an on campus DE exam and an AP Lit and AP Chem assignment (one assignment was due tomorrow and the other next week I think) before rushing off in a heavy downpour Thursday night to the airport. Before leaving home, he even had time to write to his history DE prof (online class) to remind the prof to finish grading assignments from earlier in the semester. That prof is lovely but slow with grading!

 

All of a sudden, on one day, my kiddo is super organized. I think it was the adrenaline rush of having to finish everything and go away on a long haul flight. So yeah, adrenaline does play a big part here.

 

Small brag but also a small vent/ confession -- just before leaving, DS gets an email from the history prof to thank him for the reminder...and then prof goes on to say that he thinks DS is possibly the only student this term to get a perfect end of term score. My kid, the one who wouldn't write even if his life depended on it, is getting a perfect score in his very writing-heavy history DE class. I did not expect that for a humanities class at all. To be honest, I don't think he wrote several drafts. I think a few of the essays (he had to hand in 2 essays every single week) were first drafts because I know he was very, very busy this semester with 2 other writing heavy classes and there was no way he would have written 2nd or 3rd drafts for all of the required essays. I don't think the history prof grades for grammar etc. DS's spelling is good but his grammar and even punctuation isn't always perfect. I have high standards too but for history I've let some of my expectations go. I suspect that if I had proofread any of them I would have had too many heart attacks. "You submitted your essay with that...???"

 

Sometimes, ignorance is bliss. The errors would not have happened for math or science work. At least that much I know.

 

Edited by quark
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Hilltopmom

Hilltopmom

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Well, ds's project on a thumbdrive was slipped under the professors door in an envelope per his instructions.

So.. Now he waits. He had a 100 going into it, so no big worries, just the whole "what if it got lost" issue.

Taking 2 classes with same Comp Sci professor next semester.

 

He'll finish up everything else tomorrow morning, just physics final left.

Edited by Hilltopmom
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RootAnn

RootAnn

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DD almost done with her essay. She's trying to figure out how to do an in-text citation for music lyrics in MLA format. I've been  :banghead: for almost a week over her writing this essay. She buckled down today, though, and it is almost done. Mid-term tomorrow. I found out yesterday that she has a ton of Spanish left to do by Wednesday. More  :banghead: .

 

The rest of the family is on break.  :cheers2:

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Bluegoat

Bluegoat

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My husband is an adjunct professor at a Community College.  He gives no mercy for computer trouble.  If you tried to email your assignment on the day it was due and had computer trouble, tough.  You lose the points for turning it in late the next day.  You should have found another place to email it from, or you should have anticipated trouble and emailed it the day before it was due.  

 

My nephew wrote a ho-hum college application essay.  I told him I'd work with him making it better (not writing it for him, but I had some pointers that could have made this kid shine.)  I was telling him that to write a good essay, you have to expect to write numerous drafts.  He's in DE classes and told me, "Oh, Aunt Garga, *I* don't have to write multiple drafts!  I just write one out the day before it's due and it's always been fine."  And I want to throttle his DE teachers, because I've seen his writing and it's not fine at all. But maybe it'll be fine for the classes he takes.  I just don't know anymore.  I guess my standards are too high.

 

I'm still very controlling with my 9th grader and his outsourced classes.  His outsourced geometry teacher told him on his most recent assessment that she could tell he wanted to learn.  Ha!  He's got a controlling mother who sets time aside for him to do his geometry work and makes him rework every single problem he gets wrong until he gets it right.  

 

I'm gonna have to start letting go soon, and not be the "keeper of the calendar" so that he can learn to manage his time on his own, but I'm scared to after reading this thread.  

 

Maybe next year.

 

I find it really frustrating that its possible to get by this way at school so easily.  I think that's what it comes down to in most cases - the expectations are low so they are easy to fulfill and still get a great grade. 

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Arcadia

Arcadia

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I don't think I know how to go into vacation mode. I already ordered all the lab supplies for physics for the coming semester.

It is too cold by our whiny standards for vacation so we are hibernating at the library we can walk to. I don't want to spike my electric bill running the central heating. We have vacation time in spring break and just power through Christmas break. My kids Chinese tutor is not on winter break either so they have class and homework and tests.

 

We had to do physics lab in the kitchen last year because of gloomy skies. Not enough natural sunlight in my living room coming through my patio doors except from 3-4pm when the afternoon sunshine is at its peak for my home. My kitchen is the most brightly lighted room.

 

ETA:

My kitchen has 6 of the 16w energy saving light bulbs in recessed ceiling lights, my living room only has a 23w standing lamp. My kitchen floor area is about 2/3 the size of my living room.

Edited by Arcadia
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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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Oh yea, getting drivers permit is supposed to happen here over break. Not holding my breath.

 

I had dd take the classroom portion at the end of last summer.  She couldn't get her actual permit till she turned 16, which just happened, so probably going to get it sometime this week.  But I'm so glad we got the classes out of the way, because it wouldn't have happened over break.

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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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:banghead:

What's up, Sparkly? :P

 

If it makes you feel any better, I'm out for the evening, dd has two finals tomorrow, neither of which she's even begun to study for, and I'm 99% sure she's currently either playing Minecraft or watching a Psych rerun.

 

Also, she was supposed to take her DO math midterm yesterday, but then she 'forgot she had to request it', so she hasn't even received it yet. :banghead: indeed...

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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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If it makes you feel any better, I'm out for the evening, dd has two finals tomorrow, neither of which she's even begun to study for, and I'm 99% sure she's currently either playing Minecraft or watching a Psych rerun.

 

Also, she was supposed to take her DO math midterm yesterday, but then she 'forgot she had to request it', so she hasn't even received it yet. :banghead: indeed...

I'm back home. She's watching TV. I mentioned that she should probably start studying. I KNOW! STOP BUGGING ME! says she. She says she intends to start at midnight and study for an hour. Two exams. One is a cumulative Chemistry exam. Edited by Matryoshka
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RootAnn

RootAnn

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:grouphug:  to Sparkly. (Is this over ds's math class that needs to be finished by Thurs?)

 

DD put off doing Spanish most of the day because she came along on ds's out of town orthodontist appointment. However, instead of watching a movie with the rest of the kids tonight, she worked on her Spanish assignments. Less than 20 left.  :ohmy: Her Comp midterm & essay were turned in yesterday (a whole DAY early  :svengo: ) Spanish 3 test due Friday. So, not dancing here yet, but maybe by Christmas Eve?

 

(Her paper PSAT scores came via snailmail yesterday & we picked up her booklet today. Something to look forward to...)

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SparklyUnicorn

SparklyUnicorn

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What's up, Sparkly? :p

 

If it makes you feel any better, I'm out for the evening, dd has two finals tomorrow, neither of which she's even begun to study for, and I'm 99% sure she's currently either playing Minecraft or watching a Psych rerun.

 

Also, she was supposed to take her DO math midterm yesterday, but then she 'forgot she had to request it', so she hasn't even received it yet. :banghead: indeed...

 

I wasn't any better.  Just hard not to freak about it.

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MarkT

MarkT

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I'm back home. She's watching TV. I mentioned that she should probably start studying. I KNOW! STOP BUGGING ME! says she. She says she intends to start at midnight and study for an hour. Two exams. One is a cumulative Chemistry exam.

Your making my DS' habits look like he doesn't procrastinate at all  :lol:

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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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Your making my DS' habits look like he doesn't procrastinate at all  :lol:

 

Happy to make you all feel better.    :hat:

 

She did not open her backpack to look at anything till after 12:30 AM, and then I went to bed, so I have no idea how long she was at it.  Probably not long.  We should leave at 10 to get to her first test, and she refuses to get up till 9:30, when she has set her alarm.   :glare:  :glare:  :glare:

Edited by Matryoshka
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SparklyUnicorn

SparklyUnicorn

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I'm not sure which was worse...giving birth to him or waiting for him to finish this stupid on-line class.  LOL

 

At one point he had trouble trying to get past some mastery test thing because it was super glitchy.  So he contacted the prof who told him to contact the help desk of the software company.  So he did that and they said oh that section is so old we don't even support it anymore.  WHAT THE HELL?!  So he skipped that part and moved on.  He got a 100 on the final.  He e-mailed the prof about what the company told him and he mailed back and said it's all good.  Not sure what he got overall yet.  The way it scores stuff is rather confusing and the grade is not posted in the system yet. 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Hilltopmom

Hilltopmom

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Thankfully, DE classes don't start for a few weeks yet.

 

Internship, physics, & math re start tomorrow.

 

SAT prep, not so much... It's robotics crunch time & he's spending his time on that instead.

Eh, this is his first time for SATs, taking again in spring. Practice test scores are coming out " good enough" for both of us.

 

And no, drivers permit test did not happen over break. Gonna stop nagging about that one, seems like he's not interested/ ready & I'm ok with it, moving to town in a month where he can walk to a lot of his stuff :)

 

Have fun getting back at it, everyone!

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Arcadia

Arcadia

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Both kids have the flu bug (oldest from Saturday, youngest from yesterday) and has been mostly sleeping the weekend away. WTMA starts back today according to their schedule. Younger has a Mon/Wed/Fri class so I would have to wake him up from his morning nap later. AoPS starts back this week. They would probably be recovered in time for their Saturday German class at a school but I might have to reschedule their Chinese tuition with their tutor if they are still sick tonight.

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Matryoshka

Matryoshka

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Miss fly-by-the-seat-of-her pants ended up with grades that pretty much reflect the effort put in (surprise!).  She got an A in the Computer Graphics that she spent hours working on in the computer lab every week.  But the two classes she did no work on (remember the post-midnight hour or less of studying for the two finals?) she got a B and a C respectively.  She thinks there might be a mistake with the Chem grade, as according to her calculations she could have flunked the final and still made better than a C... the prof was supposed to drop a test grade, and she thinks he may not have.  She's already emailed him to ask for a detailed breakdown of the grade.  She did have a Zero on one lab grade (that one wasn't her fault - she was in the hospital and you can't make up labs), not sure if that affected things.  But if the C stands, she'll be paying for that class (this was agreed ahead of time after the C last semester).  I'm fine with any grade that has effort behind it.  But if you haven't even put in minimal effort?  Nope, that doesn't cut it...  for her sake, hopefully she's right and there's a miscalculation.

 

She's signed up for even more credits next semester. The thing is, the problem was not her being overwhelmed.  She just did no work (except in the one class).  I'm almost hoping having more classes might help her focus.  If she continues like this, though, she'll probably have to take Drawing II over the summer for an easy A to add to the poor GPA...  One would hope a lesson is being learned...

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SparklyUnicorn

SparklyUnicorn

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Both kids have the flu bug (oldest from Saturday, youngest from yesterday) and has been mostly sleeping the weekend away. WTMA starts back today according to their schedule. Younger has a Mon/Wed/Fri class so I would have to wake him up from his morning nap later. AoPS starts back this week. They would probably be recovered in time for their Saturday German class at a school but I might have to reschedule their Chinese tuition with their tutor if they are still sick tonight.

 

Hope they feel better quick. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest

Guest

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Is this thread still open for commiseration?  :blushing:

 

Dd apparently has a huge project due on Wednesday. She mentioned in passing that there was a project due, but not that she would presenting before the entire class and that this was her conceptual game for her GT class- meaning massive part of her grade the whole year has been building toward. They will be playing it live in class and critiquing it in roughly 48 hours. And she has to have the instructions out- or should've already had them out Friday.

 

Where is she now? Working feverishly on it and nothing else for the last six hours. Because she WENT TO HER DAD'S HOUSE this past weekend, and stayed an extra night KNOWING that this was due.  :banghead: Does she have a computer at her Dad's? Noooooo. Did she have to go to her Dad's? Noooooo! But he's newly single and lonely and she feels sorry for him (and is making up for lost time, after finally getting rid of the evil stepmother, so I can't blame her there.) But ARGH! This is hard to watch. And irritating because it means no other work is getting done and I'm the receiving end of the bad mood. I'm sitting in my study with some M&M's trying to stay out of the way and let hard lessons be learned, but wow this is annoying. 

 

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Guest

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LOL, love that talk! 

 

Maybe she decided that time with her father was worth it. Likely she has no idea what she's like to be around in crunch time. Sorry, I know it's not pretty!

 

She finished, so that's a relief!! Now she is in there being huffy about doing Algebra, but at least the drama is over. :)

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CatholicMom

CatholicMom

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I think some kids really do their best work at the last minute. I was a lot like that (although I tried not to). I think my DS is a mix of needing to be last minute and not (the latter is especially when an essay is due).

 

Congrats to your DS, Hilltopmom!

 

Glad it's working out!! 

 

But, yeah, I was totally thinking that this sounds like how I was in... um... college. I just could not bring myself to do much more than what I HAD to do until it was GO TIME. Then suddenly it all came together and I would, thankfully, be a pretty good judge of what I could get done in my last stretch of time. I would start pounding my 10 page paper on Aristotle and would get it done literally with like 10 minutes to spare. Ok, it wasn't really to spare because I had to get it printed, stapled, and run to class! LOL But, amazingly, I would get very good grades even when I put the pressure on myself. 

 

It reminds me of a meme I saw that said, "You can't write this paper in one evening." And the student said, "YOU UNDERSTIMATE MY POWA!!!"  LOL

 

But I can totally see me in your shoes in a year or two... not looking forward to it.

Edited by CatholicMom
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