Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Douchebag Professor Knocks Entitled Twit Business Student Down A Few Notches

I say he's a douchebag only because the introduction to this post makes him out to be a douchebag. Like some of the commenters, given this introduction I expected to side with the student in this email exchange but came down fully in the court of the professor. Of course, he doesn't need to use foul language and might consider learning what gerunds are, but his sentiment is correct. A sample:

xxxx, get your shit together.

Getting a good job, working long hours, keeping your skills relevant, navigating the politics of an organization, finding a live/work balance...these are all really hard, xxxx. In contrast, respecting institutions, having manners, demonstrating a level of humility...these are all (relatively) easy. Get the easy stuff right xxxx. In and of themselves they will not make you successful. However, not possessing them will hold you back and you will not achieve your potential which, by virtue of you being admitted to Stern, you must have in spades. It's not too late xxxx...

1 comment:

Ellen K said...

Once upon a time, a student of college, high school or even elementary school would have been trained in the basic manners that would prevent them from enacting such a self-serving set of class samplings as was illustrated in the story. That world doesn't exist anymore. I have to ask students to sit down in the middle of a lecture. I have had students stand up and walk in front of me while I am introducing a new topic. They text, listen to IPODS and generally act as if they are the only person that matters in the room. My daughter nearly got jumped for asking three girls who repeatedly interrupted a history lecture class to be quiet. It is not fair to those students who do the right thing, who have manners and a sense of decency to endure these self-serving twits for one minute more. If I had my choice, I would throw students out for doing such things. As it is, a glare, a write up or a snarky comment is just about all I am allowed. Whatever happened to common decency?