Fall O8`.. Eye surgery messed up my grades and I could'nt attend the dates of the exams... I specifically emailed all 3 professors the 4th gave me a B+..
1st- Professor gave me a incomplete and told me to find him next semester (this spring semester which just ended) I did and he gave me two options re-do the final or do a paper. I chose the paper, he said pick a topic from out past class and develop an argument I don't know if you guys remember I posted a while ago about the Newt Gingrich... with all seriousness he didn't even give me the topics... no specification of the paper or length. Just make an argument and talk about it. And so i did, had couple of class mates help me with it and my mother. I emailed him the paper / asked for a meeting to go over it. After 5 weeks or so, I had to go through a hassle top find him through his department I located him and told me hey Moe, sorry the paper is plagiarized, my heart just dropped... and I said to myself? how is that possible? and walked away... I emailed him back again saying what are you talking about I don't see any plagiarism, he said you copied it off Newt Gingrich website, I'm like I'm not in high school why on earth would I COPY IT OFF from the guys website? he looked over it and said " ah! what does Hitler has to do with it? " i said i was using him as a example of how he impacted the world even though he was a grossly bad person and such" he just gave me the whatever face... and I'm like Google everything there is no plagiarism i just got help off a Forums website and a few classmates guided me... he said I'm not discussing this with you please leave my office... and I was 3seconds away from knocking his 4"9 ass to the ground...i told him is it going to kill you your my only grade for getting dismissed? and he repeated leave please.
2nd- Art Renaissance prof.. I give it to her, I was lacking I came to class late and didn't do the assignment so therefore a fail... so I had to take it again and I failed her class again i was absent 2x I had to send my mother to hospital and pick up my little bro from school and go back to class by public transportation, she cut me off and said "wow you got a lot of personal problems don't you?" she smiled and walked away... i was in class every time, did her paper, and i don't even know what i got on my final and she failed me... I just really lost hope..
3rd- Napoleon History, located her did work 3 papers... D- to a B+
that was fall 08
now this spring 09`
I got 2 D+ which was BULL! it has nothing to do with my god damn major... the 3rd class i withdrawal and retaking it now(summer courses) and the same art Renaissance failed me... nothing to do with computer forensics... i don't know now I got a letter to do a letter appeal and got to do another appeal on the newt paper and I got a quick tomorrow for class i with drawled.. and just got a job in a mortgage office and there pressuring me and blah.. maybe I'm not school material? =( I really let my mom down and I hate myself for that...
well can at least someone help me guide me to do this appeal please
feedback is very appreciated guys! like always
I'm confused: What sort of appeal are you needing to make?
I notice that the tone of your remarks about Prof 1 is hostile from the start. You sound aggrieved about things that he did right: giving you the incomplete, giving you a lot of latitude in what to write about, etc. If such hostility and resentment was in the tenor of your verbal contacts with him, then I'm not surprised he eventually asked you to leave his office. You were, in fact, feeling like hitting him. He probably could sense that.
So, if you do have to write some sort of appeal, my first piece of advice to you would be to make sure you phrase your account of events more kindly. For example: "Prof X considerately gave me an incomplete and generously allowed me to write a make-up paper on a topic of my choosing. Unfortunately, due to some misunderstanding, he came to believe I had plagiarized the paper. I stand by my words as my own and that ask Prof X either give me a passing grade on the paper or refer his charge of plagiarism for formal investigation so that I can clear my name."
sorry, appeal to register for my next semester courses, no i was not hostile when he gave me the incomplete, and if you seen the way he acted to me you would feel like the same I would feel... after 5weeks he didn't feel like contacting me i had the right to feel that way. i read some guidelines on google about a procedure and it said let the committee know that you take full responsibility and accept the fact " do you know where a legit professional guidelines would be ?
I just read the Newt thread. Sean helped you with the essay and showed you how to cite sources. He even told you, that as written, it could be considered plagiarism. I really think that your best bet is to plead ignorance and ask for the opportunity to rewrite the paper--with citations--for more credit. You have got to lose the attitude though if you want the profs to do anything for you. If you are having trouble with three out of your four professors, it appears that there is something wrong with the way you interpret instructions, your attitude, your work/exam grades, or a combination of all three. This isn't the first semester you have had issues either.
Honestly? College may not be for you. Regardless of what Obama says, I personally don't feel that our national goal should be a higher education for everyone. You are the person who needs to decide. You'll need to figure out the game if you plan to stay. You need to go to classes, have a positive attitude, follow instructions, and study for exams. Maybe you would be better off if you worked and only took one class at a time until you feel able to tackle more. What about on-line classes? Would that be easier for you or even more difficult?
Simone has already given you some good advice on writing an appeal. Think it through. Think through where you need to take responsibility for your actions, ask for another chance (with a method of making things right), and hope for the best.
I really want a second chance all this was happening when i was going out... like seriously Thur-Sunday... drink lack of effort and etc... i stoped i stoped drinking after 4yrs partying and want to do really good in school =( i know how i act with professors i act really really nice... I take FULL responsibility for my actions and would like a 2nd chance to show everyone that i really did change =/
Or not
Notoman is right. It's a matter of making a decision and then doing what you need to do to move forward. Whether it's for college or a job, you need to maintain your sobriety and treat people respectfully to get ahead.
On the question of whether college is right for you, the answer lies within another question: What do you want to do with your life? What kind of work would you enjoy? If it's carpentry or auto repair, then trade school rather than college is the place for you. If it's accounting or art history, college will be required.
Having a larger goal, envisioning the life you want to lead, that's what will get you through college if you choose to attend.
I do Simone! Believe me! but I'm going for Computer Forensics but the classes they gave me art music I don't see why is it required.. and so forth I learned to treat people with respect i know when to give it and don't. but after what that professor did to me, i have the right to give him no respect.
I hear you. I hear the frustration you are feeling. Let's take things one step at a time.
It sounds like you maybe committed plagiarism accidentally and, for whatever reason, your communication with your professor about that spiraled into mutual miscommunication. Read you school's plagiarism policy carefully. Usually, there is a procedure that professors are supposed to follow if they suspect plagiarism. If your professor didn't follow that policy, you can follow your school's procedure for grieving (or protesting) a grade. If your professor did follow that policy, you should have the opportunity to present your case before an unbiased panel. (I don't know your school's specific policy, but that's probably how it goes.)
In the meantime, you need to write your appeal. Keep it simple and clean. Confess what you did here: That you went astray and neglected your studies due to too much social activity for some time. Say what you have done to get and stay sober. Talk about your sincere wish to go into computer forensics and your determination to do whatever you must to achieve that aim.
As for art and music courses, the goal of a four-year college (rather than a trade school) is to turn out well-rounded, educated citizens who can not only do their selected jobs but also participate fully in the civic and cultural lives of their communities. Hence, every student must take introductory level courses in lots of different subjects. In the long run, knowing something about art and music, for example, will not only increase your enjoyment of the arts but will also allow you to converse more easily with other college graduates in professional or semi-professional settings, such as a social event sponsored by your employer.
Another benefit of being forced to take courses outside of your narrow field of interest is that most young people don't know enough about all of the fields of endeavor out there to know for sure when starting school what they will want to do or what they will be best suited to do for their whole lives. Some students come in thinking vaguely of accounting or forensics and then, in the midst of a course they wouldn't have taken if they hadn't been forced to do so, discover a true talent and passion for anthropology or finance. Required courses introduce you to the wider world. See them as opportunities rather than burdens and you will get the most out of them.
Simone wish I can hug you!!!! thanks so much I really needed that! is there a specific website on how should I do my appeal? where to start ... how to end.. what to include.. how long should it be.. etc
Treat your appeal as you would an essay: Brainstorm, then outline, then draft. Post your draft on this forum for feedback.
As to specific advice, look on your own university's website to see if it offers any guidance. You might also want to consult your academic adviser or someone in the office of student retention, if your university has such an office.
Good luck and I will look forward to seeing your draft!
I made an appointment on Wednesday and me and her/him will discuss it and see if anyone can help me with this letter then I'll post it on here asap.
Thanks everyone!
I made an appointment on Wednesday and me and her/him will discuss it
Good! Let us know how it goes. Also, it's "he/she and I" not "him/her and me" because the two of you are the subject rather than the object of the clause.
Sorry I came to this thread a bit late. As you write up your appeal, try to maintain a more positive tone than the one you adopted in your initial post. Also, try to make it sound more as if you are taking responsibility for your actions:
I had to send my mother to hospital and pick up my little bro from school and go back to class by public transportation, she cut me off and said "wow you got a lot of personal problems don't you?"
Your professor was quite right in taking the attitude she did. She doesn't care about your personal problems. She doesn't care about your poor ailing mother, or your little brother's school schedule. What she cares about is your contribution to her class (or lack thereof) and the quality of the work you submit. And that's it. If you attended all but two of your classes, then you couldn't have lost too much of grade from your attendance mark. You did the paper, and you took the test, but neither your doing the paper nor your taking the test meant that she owed you a passing grade on either of them. In the public school system before college, yes, teachers will push you through for just doing the work, especially if you or your parents seem likely to howl and complain if they don't. In university, not so much. Whether you pass or fail will be determined by the quality of your work, which, from the sounds of it, was the one thing you didn't ask her about. You instead offered fairly feeble excuses that didn't really bear on anything. Even if they did, the problems you mentioned to her were commonplace enough that you should have been able to work around them with a bit of foresight and planning. You didn't.
I'm sorry if this sounds a bit harsh, but it's no more than what the people reviewing your appeal would think. If you take that approach in the formal written appeal, you won't get very far.
