April 2012
2 posts
Nope!
Hi may i see you in your office on monday between 8:30 to 9:30 in the morning to have a look at my paper? thank you ******
January 2012
1 post
came across this old student email…
“Hi [TA], …Dr. ** didn’t mention that Glutamate is the most abundant - that question wasn’t very nice along with the amino acid transmitters. Yes, it was on your slides, but those weren’t uploaded at 9:30pm yesterday. Why are we tested on things you talk about after the quiz? I understand that its really hard to be working...
December 2011
15 posts
So, I was editing a draft of a student’s paper, and saw that this student had left “(cite)” in the paper in place of filling in the proper citation - it happens to all of us occasionally, right? So I highlighted the (cite) and wrote the following track changes comment:
“Do this! :)”
Meaning, clearly, that the student should cite the source. I received the...
“Dear [TA], Thanks for your response. But I guess you missed my second questions about slide 59. I appreciate if you can also answer that as well. Best, [v]”
Me: “Have you taken the time to read the posted review article? All of the material from the slides is from that article, including detailed descriptions of the circuitry you’re asking about. It might save us both...
End of Quarter Eval
TA’s at my university are evaluated at the end of the quarter with a standardized survey. But there is an opened ended section on the other side of this survey with “free space” for students to write comments and suggestions meant to improve our TA’s “skills.” One of my students used to the space to write the following, “I love your clothes! Where do you...
Description of an interaction in a student paper:
“We predicted an interaction, such that females will be rated higher than males”. I corrected him/her by writing: “That’s not a description of an interaction. That’s a description of a main effect of gender.”
Revised paper:
“We predicted an interaction, such that there will be a main effect of gender...
“Thus, when looking back at the research provided, there seems to be a gaping hole in science.”
“The surveys were passed out to the participants. The experimenter collected the papers when all the participants flipped the paper over just as they started.” Umm… so the participants weren’t even allowed to respond?
This is why free response questions are awesome.
In response to a question about what conclusions could be drawn from a confidence interval:
Meaning that the effect on endurance of the herbs is somewhere in between that interval, especially if the null hypothesis is true and there is an effect, which clearly, according to the test or situation there is an effect, the question now is what the effect is and where in the interval it lies, and how...
An email from a rather notorious student during the Spring 2010 quarter:
“The title of the syllabus says ‘Spring 2009’ instead of ‘Spring 2010’. Is that correct?” Sure it’s correct - this course operates in a slightly different time zone than the real world. When you step into the classroom, it’s suddenly 1 year ago. Didn’t you know that?
my favorite student (email 1 of an endless...
Student email:
“I received an email from you about your office hours being changed to 12:30 to 1:30 on Tuesday. I am wondering is that going to be for everybody? Or can I still come to your regular office hours? I realy appreciate if you can respond as soon as possible, since the final is getting close.”
Oh, no, no- I changed office hours for everyone BUT you. Of course I’ll...
My first COMM paper already has a delightful gem:
“All codes agreed on 95% of the measures.”
She did the experiment by herself. I already emailed the professor asking if it’s ok to have 95% agreement with yourself.
From an undergrad’s neuroanatomy exam:
Question: “A bump on the surface of the cortex is called a _________.” Answer: “Gyro”.
Mmm, brains, the classic Greek delicacy!
From the “Methods” section of a student’s lab report: “For details on the methods, refer to the lab manual”. I wonder if he answers “For the answer, refer to the textbook or ask the professor” for every exam question.
“Even though the p-value was 0.62, the significant results indicate that…”
It’s too early for vodka. It’s too early for vodka. It’s too early for vodka. It’s too early for vodka. It’s too early for vodka…
