Hil, I recommend forwarding the email to someone higher on the food chain. I just think it's a good idea with a combative student. That way they'll have the evidence they need to support you should she decide to challenge her grade later or whatever.

bonny, there's been an increase in using ADD drugs for concentration and studying on college campuses. And not just undergrads.

More than 100 posts later, all I can say is I want that cherry chocolate bread. Nom nom nom!

I really do feel that you do not have the students well-being at heart, but are concerned with what other professors and higher ups will think of your class.

This, by the way, is the same student who wrote "We love Hillary" on the board before class last Tuesday.

Document all of this.

Whether she is a manipulative little Eddie Haskel of a suck-up or she is emotionally unstable and manipulative into the bargain, it will be good to have evidence to back you up.

In your shoes I would respond something like this: "I have carefully designed this course to meet the rigorous professional standards of this department and this university. The requirements laid out to you in the course syllabus at the beginning of term explain the work expected of you. You may confirm with (I dunno... the academic dean, head of your dept.) that the requirements of this course are in line with ordinary standards of this level of scholarly pursuit. Contrary to your belief that these requirements were formulated for your personal torment, midterms and finals have plagued university students for generations at many august institutions. They are rites of passage through which it is a privilege to be called to suffer. If you find your academic load to be a grave challenge at this time, please take advantage of the assistance available at (whatever center of academic assistance that would teach study skills and/or time management, and offer contacts with tutors)."

BTW, thanks for the cross-cultural holy day holiday greetings info, Hil.

She's complaining that it's unfair and too stressful to have two midterm exams and a final, because the final will just be testing them on material that they've already been tested on. It includes this line:

"If you already know it, it should be easy. If you didn't know it the first time, this is your chance to prove you've now learned it. If you STILL don't know it, clearly you shouldn't be passing the class, and having to test on the material again isn't your real problem here"

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."

What Windsparrow said.

Of course, you could always go with "Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all." but that's a bit morbid for talk of a midterm.

"Life is pain, highness. Anyone who tells you differently is selling something."

Daniel, FTW!

Dear Student:

About 80 percent of your work life will consist of doing things you think are stupid. Get used to it.

A warning for people who indulge their pets with squeaky toys: I just took apart the vacuum cleaner to discover why its sucking sucked. It was a squeaker, which was exactly the diameter of the hose.

I really do feel that you do not have the students well-being at heart, but are concerned with what other professors and higher ups will think of your class.

"Higher ups have nothing to do with it. I just get off on torturing you. It's good to be the king queen. Learning enough to sail through the final is the only way you could possibly thwart my evil plans. IJS."