Can I Rant About My Son?

[RitaE]

You know that bad dream you have where you are in College and didn't check your finals schedule very well and you forgot to show up to take your end of semester English exam? WELL GUESS WHAT? IT ACTUALLY HAPPENS!!!!

Good Lord I'm going to strangle this kid when I get hold of him. Especially considering just last weekend I told him to take that published final schedule and look up every class and write them on his calendar and then get out the Syllabus for every class and double check his calendar. "Yes MOM! Don't Worry Mom!!! Mom!!! I'm an ADULT now!!!!"

So everybody tell me amusing feel good stories about how you forgot to show up for an exam and the Professor had mercy and let you take it with the other section the next day. If you don't have a story like that, just lie to me.

 

[sunnyday123]

sorry. I have nothing.

 

[mzzzh]

Okay...here's my story.....I missed a final exam too. Ths was a long time ago but I think my excuse was car trouble. The professor allowed me to take the test the following day. I think she gave me the benefit of the doubt because I was a serious student, didn't cut class, paid in attention in class. How serious a student is your son?

 

[kirbydog48]

Maybe he's feeling overwhelmed??

 

[RitaE]

He says he had an A going into the final and he thinks the worst that can happen is a C.

We'll see.

Car excuse isn't going to fly. He lives on campus. I told him to be totally honest and mention the words "I'm a total screw-up" at least twice. Sad eyes would also help.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I missed a music appreciation final in college. I hated that class, but I would never skip. I think I missed it because of either an illness or a death in the family (we're Italian, so this means EVERYONE drops what they do to adhere to those in need).

I got to take the Final a few days later, but I had to do it in the Prof's office and have him watch me take the final as he personally chose the music for me to identify.

I think the only one I got right was Beethoven's Fifth. Oh, and Dave Brubeck.

I survived.

Next time, though, you don't get to nag. Let him fail on his own.

 

[C.Ann]

Would a lump of coal in his stocking make you feel vindicated?

I'm sure he's not the first college student who has done this - and surely won't be the last..

 

[Ephany]

I never missed a final, but I did miss the first days of school once. Got my weeks mixed up and realized on Saturday that I had classes scheduled on the previous Thursday and Friday. I felt like a complete idiot. To be fair, I was a commuter student so it's not like I lived on campus. It did make me really, really anal about checking my schedule from then on though.

I'm sure the professor has heard every reason in the book, honesty is usually the best policy. Begging never hurts though either.

 

[MushyMushy]

I overslept for an English final once. I'd stayed up the entire night cramming, and snoozed around 6 am -- the final was at 8 am -- and I woke up in a major panic at 9. The class was clear across campus and it got there with a half hour to spare. Needless to say, I didn't write very good essays, but I did pull a B out of the class.

Tell him to make something up and maybe his professor will have pity on him. Flat tire (though it would have been better if he'd called and left a message during that time period), diarrhea, begging, bribery...

 

[akhenaten]

This may come across as more harsh than I mean it...( I have a DD in college)

mom, its time to land the helicopter ....

I have never reminded my dd about finals schedules....

The only thing I "nag" about is the paperwork for registration and grades that the insurance company needs so she can stay on our health plan!!

 

[MM27]

I was the type of student that checked 100 times to see where and when the final was and then I still worried that I'd miss it.

 

[DawnCt1]

DS#3 was headed into his exam with an A average in his engineering class. It was an open note book exam, which means, there is NO WAY you can take this exam without your notes. Someone stole his notes. He was so upset that he was on the verge of tears. His professor found out, got a hold of another "good student's notes", and scheduled DS#3 to come in the next day to take his exam. There are good people in the world. I am sure that your DS will find one....I hope.

 

[RitaE]

This may come across as more harsh than I mean it...( I have a DD in college)

mom, its time to land the helicopter ....

I have never reminded my dd about finals schedules....

The only thing I "nag" about is the paperwork for registration and grades that the insurance company needs so she can stay on our health plan!!

yeah that is helpful.

I'm probably one of the least helicopter Moms out there. If I were a Helicopter Mom, I would have looked up the finals myself, drove over to his school, and wrote them down on the Calendar for him. Then, I could have called him before each and every one to make sure he went. SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

However I do talk to my son frequently and I offer him advice on topics which I might know a bit about. Like most kids, he totally ignores me. Like most Moms, it doesn't stop me.

Instead, I let him make the mistake.

In addition, I also won't be calling his teacher and demanding that she allow him to take the final. Working that out is totally up to him.

But thanks for your support.

 

[akhenaten]

yeah that is helpful.

I'm probably one of the least helicopter Moms out there. If I were a Helicopter Mom, I would have looked up the finals myself, drove over to his school, and wrote them down on the Calendar for him. Then, I could have called him before each and every one to make sure he went. SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

However I do talk to my son frequently and I offer him advice on topics which I might know a bit about. Like most kids, he totally ignores me. Like most Moms, it doesn't stop me.

Instead, I let him make the mistake.

In addition, I also won't be calling his teacher and demanding that she allow him to take the final. Working that out is totally up to him.

But thanks for your support.

I was joking...hence the
however i do think that college kids should be able to schedule their time....
rant away....
now you got to rant at me too....

 

[RitaE]

I was joking...hence the
however i do think that college kids should be able to schedule their time....
rant away....
now you got to rant at me too....

yes, he should have been able to handle it.

yes, he made a mistake. My GOD he is 18years old and he made a mistake!!!!

Obviously, I should disown him. Thank God I have two more. Maybe one of those will turn ok

 

[akhenaten]

yes, he should have been able to handle it.

yes, he made a mistake. My GOD he is 18years old and he made a mistake!!!!

Obviously, I should disown him. Thank God I have two more. Maybe one of those will turn ok

Hey I was not ranting about him... you were.

I was just explaining why I used the helicopter reference....
but you pointed out what a true helicopter parent would have done... point taken...

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

"It's time to land the helicopter." Now that is funny.

We really have to let our kids grow up and take on these responsibilities. I have a son in university and I leave him to his own devices.

 

[TheZue]

My husband missed his final in a fourth year biology exam. The prof didn't let him retake it and he failed. She was a total witch though and hated him for whatever reason.

 

[tchrrx]

I haven't read everyone else's comments, but here's 2 stories for you:

My DH (fiance' at the time) missed a final his senior year b/c a friend told him the wrong time. They both missed it and were very upset. (Actually, I've never seen DH that upset before or since.) Their professor let them both make it up.

An employee of DH's has finals next week. No big deal, except that his wedding is on Saturday & he's supposed to be on his honeymoon next week. He looked at the paperwork wrong back in August. Oops! He has one professor offering an Incomplete that can be changed if he takes the test in January. He's still waiting to see what the other prof. says. If he can't make them up, his soon to be wife will be going on the honeymoon with a friend!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Oh no! I hope the prof is reasonable and lets him make it up. It's really hard sometimes watching our kids screw up. I have a son who's a college freshman and now I'm thinking I should call him and remind him to doublecheck his finals schedule.

I'm in school and asked and received an extension on an assignment that was due this last Monday. The prof could have told me "no", but she knows that I've been in class every day and have turned everything else in on time. You're going to give me nightmares about missing one of my finals.