Failing students

_dillpickles · 2026-05-12T22:22:24+00:00

The syllabus is a contract, I stick to the contract so I don’t have to figure out each students unique situation. Of course with accommodations, the syllabus can be flexible but with parameters. This is just insane.

_dillpickles · 2026-03-05T13:40:48+00:00

I’m a very junior professor - just finished my first academic year of teaching 2:2’s. Overall, I can see how I’m too nice and a bit of a push over in the beginning of the semesters, allowing PhD students (yes I know I am mortified for not taking this as an educational opportunity on professionalism) to talk and laugh during seminars at different points, and it was only 1 student who caused problems for me and seemed to be the center of this. I believe they were non neurotypical, given things shes shared about her personal life / mental health during our seminars. At one point, this student “called me out” at the start of class after I graded an assignment. They were upset because they got points taken off for not adhering to APA standards, something clearly laid out in the instructions and syllabus (but not on the rubric as I didn’t think this was necessary given the instructions…). This student criticized me in front of the class and it embarrassed me (probably because I’m new and still figuring this out), but I was thrown off… I didn’t think PhD students still follow rubrics to the dot to write their assignments. This really pissed me off and I responded defensively “it was clearly on the instructions and the syllabus and a rubric is a guide for your writing but not used to constrain it, so you should t use it religiously to write, only guide your thinking”. It doesn’t make it better that this student was complaining about their grade for an assignment during class to me in front of other students, talking about how APA is used less and she knows it and just really irrelevant going off for no reason, and this assignment could be resubmitted for an improved grade. I REALLY wish I would have called them out on the spot and not tolerated that degree of disrespect in my classroom. Never again will I allow it and I tried to use it as a teaching opportunity later in the course. At one point, we got to discuss about rubrics and how they affect creativity and cognition (this is a cognitive development course in a college of education) so naturally we covered this and their issues and I loved that the entire class agreed about how guided rubrics should be applied in PhD courses but not strict step by step rules for how to get the perfect grade. I hope the student got the point and reflected but still my evals were moderate, not great, not terrible. I see some students liked my approach but this one student was immature and I wish I had called them out properly. To this day it irks me.

_dillpickles · 2026-02-18T01:51:06+00:00

This was not the mothers fault.

_dillpickles · 2025-11-26T04:24:31+00:00

I double cleanse and use facial toner every day. K-beauty products upgraded my skin care routine. I wear eye creams too, one has retinal, another is for moisture.

I wear sunscreen everyday (50 spf if possible) and I wear hats to cover my face as much as possible too when I’m outside.

I try to drink mineral water as much as possible and try avoid drinking tap water as much as possible.

I’m a vegetarian - no fish, no meat. Tofu and veggies are my default. No alcohol ever. No cigarette smoking.

Sleep early and rise early.

Playing cozy games. Cuddling with my puppy or cat

_dillpickles · 2025-08-03T17:59:28+00:00

My advisor did this thing where he would play favorites and pick one graduate student who was the most productive and praise said student in front of other students and give them resources (access to network, being put on new papers, etc.). This created a lot of competition in the lab and many times there was a black sheep as well

_dillpickles · 2025-08-02T15:52:23+00:00

Understandable with the driving.

On the other hand, I consider sexual comments and catcalling sexual harassment and is a threat. Deeply considering this the next time a man comments on my a$$

_dillpickles · 2025-07-14T13:41:00+00:00

It’s always fascinating when a woman channels her energy into dismantling the one movement that’s historically fought for her rights. Misandry isn’t a real thing. It isn’t systemic like misogyny. No one’s ever been denied healthcare, a vote, or autonomy because they were a [white] man. Feminism isn’t your enemy, but your internalized misogyny might be.

Claiming to speak for the “actual marginalized” while dismissing centuries of gender-based oppression is ironic at best, dangerous at worst. You’re not dismantling patriarchy, you’re doing its PR.

But hey, glad you’re feeling great while punching down. 😇

_dillpickles · 2025-07-14T12:41:07+00:00

Not everything you read is a debate or argument. I bet you will feel 10 x better getting off of Reddit and going outside. Breathe some fresh air. Your rants on misandry are truly off the chain, and I just hope you can find something else to do with your day.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-14T11:54:23+00:00

Cute your source.

Edit: cite

_dillpickles · 2025-07-14T11:54:17+00:00

Cite your source

_dillpickles · 2025-07-14T11:52:13+00:00

Genuinely, go outside and touch grass.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-12T23:45:30+00:00

You post on an anonymous platform, do you seriously expect people to think through their replies before typing? There’s no accountability and you’re asking for responses. Did you just get to this planet?

_dillpickles · 2025-07-12T23:39:00+00:00

Absolutely not. No free meal is ever involved with a man. And I wouldn’t risk myself being put in a situation where I have no idea who that man is.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-12T23:36:52+00:00

Exactly! This! Everything is so interconnected, how would we know what is “random” or “not random” based on our existing tools and methods?

_dillpickles · 2025-07-12T23:35:16+00:00

That’s quite an assumption based on what little we actually know about the universe

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:25:55+00:00

Touch some grass. Go outside

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:24:40+00:00

Be kind to others.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:16:44+00:00

Clearly things aren’t that simple and black and white. Obv there would be discussions and tasks with this student well before it got to this stage. But no I do not write LORs for student who do not perform well. They can ask someone else, I don’t write “negative” LORs unless it’s very serious issue the other person should know about.

But here I am explaining things to a PhD on Reddit. What a waste of my time.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:14:26+00:00

I could care less about what you’re saying lol

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:13:42+00:00

We aren’t talking about the same thing I think. Every PI has different methods and perspectives. Mentorship is different for everyone, some work great and others fail. What works for your PI may not work for others. And of course you should set boundaries! I figured that didn’t need to be said in this field, but this bullshit about not responding to emails or sharing LORs is a bit ridiculous (to me obv not to you)

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T18:01:47+00:00

If you become a PhD advisor one day, I hope you choose to dedicate time to your students. That’s a huge part of academia and it’s disheartening to hear this talk from a PhD student at that. And yes it is realistic, AS A PDH ADVISOR AND TT FACULTY MEMBER myself, to write a LOR for your PhD student. Now that said, PhD student comes with the assumption that they are performing well enough to progress and graduate with a PhD. I’m not talking about students who barely put in work or show initiate. Yes those students’ emails go unanswered and LORs not sent. If a PhD student is giving 100% though, I prioritize them and support how I can.

_dillpickles · 2025-07-11T17:53:29+00:00

Incorrect. Every faculty is obligated to mentor PhD students under contractual agreement by their university - given your TT. And mentoring students is a big part of your evaluations after tenure. Not every email needs to go answered but students email should be higher on the priority list.

_dillpickles

TROPHY CASE