• Strange Choices

"Do your students make really strange choices?"Professor Assante asked. The other professors looked up from their lunches. "What do you mean?" one asked.

"At the beginning of each class I give short quizzes that count as 50% of the final grade," Professor Assante replied. "One of my students comes late to every class, even though I keep telling her there's no way she can pass the course if she keeps missing the quizzes. But she still keeps coming late! What is she thinking?"

"That's nothing," Professor Buckley said. "I've got a really bright student who attends every class and offers great comments during the discussions. But the semester is almost over, and he still hasn't turned in any assignments. At this point, he's too far behind to pass. Now that's what I call a strange choice."

You think that's strange," Professor Chen said, "I'm teaching English in the computer lab. Last week I sat down next to a woman who was working on her essay, and I suggested a way she could improve her introduction. I couldn't believe what she did. She swoare at me, stormed out of the room, and slammed the door."

Professor Donelly chimed in. "Well, I can top all of you. In my philosophy class, participation counts for one-third of the final grade. I've got a student this semester who hasn't said a word in twelve weeks. Even when I call on him, he just shakes his head and says something under his breath that I can't hear. One day after class, I asked him if he realized that if he didn't participate in class discussions, the best grade he could earn is a D. He just mumbled 'I know'. Now there's a choice I don't get!"

How about this! Professor Egret said. "I had a student last semester with a B average going into the final two weeks. Then he disappeared. This semester, I ran into him on campus and I asked what happened. 'Oh", he said, "I got burned out and stopped going to my classes' 'But you only had two more weeks to go. You threw away thirteen weeks of work,' I said. You know what he did? He shrugged his shoulders and walked away. I wanted to shake him and say, 'What is wrong with you?"

Professor Fanning said, "Talk about strange choices. Last week I had a business owner visit my marketing class. Near the end of the period, a student asked if the business owners had ever had problems with procrastination. While the business owner was thinking about an answer I joked, "Maybe you'd rather answer later". Weak humor, I admit, but then the owner answered the question. The next day I got a call from the Dean. The student who'd asked about procrastination told him I'd mocked her in front of the whole class and now she's going to drop out of college! What is it with students today and their bizarre choices?

Why The Strange Choice?

Choose the student who you think made the strangest choice. Whatperceptions might they have had that informed that choice. Whatthoughts might the student be having about themselves, about their professors, about their peers? Whatemotions might havefollowed those thoughts? Do any of these scenarios speak to you? Have you or others in your world made similar choices? In what other circumstances (relationships, work, health) might a similar choice sabotage his or her success?