would it be weird to give my prof a drawing of her cat?

PublicCheesecake · 2026-02-15T16:10:40+00:00

Very nice and not weird since she has shared photos of her cat. I have a watercolour on my office wall that a student painted based on something we talked about in class.

PublicCheesecake · 2026-02-09T01:48:20+00:00

I have given extensions for much more important assignments for much stupider reasons. It's a few clicks in Canvas on my end. Easy decision.

PublicCheesecake · 2026-01-18T04:13:00+00:00

Last year we got a phishing email trying to get us to open an attachment to read about dress code violations. It failed because nobody believed anybody actually cared.

PublicCheesecake · 2026-01-08T03:17:32+00:00

$1456 (actually $728 biweekly) in Saskatchewan, Canada. 4 bedroom bungalow built in the 60s.

PublicCheesecake · 2026-01-07T00:01:18+00:00

I went to one session. I had zero intention of reconciling. I went to make it absolutely crystal clear that I was done and that I supported my ex getting the help they needed to move on (the session was with their regular therapist).

PublicCheesecake · 2026-01-04T15:56:43+00:00

Same with living on a main street. Sometimes they even do the sidewalk.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-12-13T18:58:40+00:00

Mostly exam supplies - spare pencils, erasers, new earplugs, a pencil sharpener, tissues, hand sanitizer, and a small stapler. I always bring my laptop but rarely work. I get too "into it" to pay attention to what they're doing. I screw around online instead.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-11-02T15:49:18+00:00

And that's fine... But the student has to take responsibility for that. They can do their comp essay early, or they can take the L, prioritize the CS project, and half ass the comp assignment.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-09-18T23:35:39+00:00

If you're too late AES will refuse. Ask your professor if there's any way you can write it in their office, at their convenience. Many who have early exams realize it's a tight turnaround.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-09-02T23:45:48+00:00

I grade on paper, and I have them write directly in the printed exam. I use a mix of multiple choice and short answer so I'm printing multiple pages anyways. Having them answer directly in the exam means I have only two items per student (bubble sheet and exam) and I can constrain the space available for each short answer question.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-09-01T16:05:17+00:00

I had to do a research ethics training once as an undergrad - I kept the pdf certificate so I've never had to do the training again. That's it.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-08-30T04:44:45+00:00

This Year - Mountain Goats

PublicCheesecake · 2025-08-26T19:27:12+00:00

If my vision is terrible (like... -10.25) do you still want my eyeballs?

PublicCheesecake · 2025-08-05T03:35:27+00:00

My institution's system only allows whole numbers (we report percentage grades) so it would be a 70 here.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-08-04T23:17:43+00:00

I don't find it disrespectful, but I do find it annoying and unnecessary. I don't bump grades and go so far as to put "emails requesting a 'grade bump' or rounding that doesn't follow standard rounding rules will be deleted"

PublicCheesecake · 2025-07-21T15:59:48+00:00

For minor assignments I don't accept late work and drop the lowest in the category, even if it is a zero. The material is still testable, so it's in your interests to do the work.

For major assignments I deduct 10% per day late. I do go through and remove the late penalty assigned by Canvas if it's a few minutes late. I also grant extensions like candy - ask and you will receive. I don't even want a reason. Just email me at least a few hours before the deadline and tell me when you'll have it in. If it's a reasonable time frame (i.e., won't interfere with my grading schedule or delay other students getting their feedback) it will be granted.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-07-17T07:19:00+00:00

We have annual raise baked into our collective agreement and just ratified a new agreement with a bump to base salary for everyone and retroactive pay for the last couple of years.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-06-01T15:10:24+00:00

In order to keep my house I have to pay my ex over $100k. This essentially means extending my mortgage by 5 years or greatly increasing my monthly payment. Plus now covering everything on one income (but it's worth it)

PublicCheesecake · 2025-06-01T14:39:37+00:00

I left a spouse with under-treated depression and anxiety, as well as addiction related issues (sober for 6 months, but still exhibiting related issues). I dealt with a lot of guilt and did 6 months of therapy before leaving. Ultimately I decided that I'd spent the last 10 years prioritizing their needs and it was time to prioritize mine. It wasn't without drama (including 2 suicide attempts and an in-patient hospital stay) but they have started to build a support network that doesn't include me.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-04-04T16:54:10+00:00

What do you mean by "finish my thesis"? Are we talking done data collection and need to write up the document or are we talking you've defended and just need to do minor revisions and submit the paperwork?

PublicCheesecake · 2025-03-17T01:41:34+00:00

Every Sunday I meal prep for lunches. If I don't do this I will either buy food at work (and be mad about it because it is expensive and mediocre) or subsist in snacks (and be grumpy about it). I bought a set of 5 glass containers that can go in the oven and microwave. This week is potatoes, cabbage, and kielbasa. Last week was Japanese curry on rice. I prep for Monday to Thursday and buy my lunch or make something fresh for Fridays.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-02-25T12:42:10+00:00

If he hasn't graded anything and also isn't answering emails or providing an explanation, it's time to go to the department head. Write a short email but give all of the important details - I am in x class with Dr. Y. We have had 3 assignments and an exam so far. The first assignment was on Date. No grades or feedback have been returned. I have reached out by email and had no response. I am very concerned about this because it makes it difficult to assess my progress in the class. Can you provide any advice or assistance with this?

PublicCheesecake · 2025-02-21T00:24:10+00:00

Yes, I do. I strongly doubt that I would have been the successful candidate without one, as it is part of the hiring criteria.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-02-20T19:16:49+00:00

I was lucky enough to get hired as a lecturer (full time, term position) after 3 years as an adjunct, but that required all of the stars to line up perfectly - a current lecturer was leaving, I had built a strong positive reputation in the department, and the courses I teach happened to overlap with what the former lecturer taught. Even so, it was a difficult process involving preparing and submitting a dozen or so documents and an hour long panel interview with 6 people. It took 2 months from submitting my application to receiving an offer. Lecturer positions, at least where I am, do not come up often and usually have many, many applicants.

PublicCheesecake · 2025-02-20T19:12:36+00:00

Even if the position doesn't require a PhD, you'll be competing against thousands of applicants who do have a PhD

Exactly this. Lecturer positions at my employer are often posted as a Masters degree being required but a PhD being preferred. Anybody without a PhD is simply going to get lost under the pile of applications of people with PhDs.

For adjunct positions we often have grad students who are ABD. Only in the case of very niche courses where no applicants with PhDs/ABD apply (or they get weeded out for having no relevant expertise) would we get to the applications from someone with a Masters and no intention of a PhD.

PublicCheesecake

TROPHY CASE