the five percent rule....

and this from the inimitable "Sex Ed in Higher Ed"

Two years ago? I expected that about 95% of college students would be decent writers, with great writers and horrible writers filling out the tail-ends of the bell curve. Today? I expect that about 45-48 out of 50 students will be fairly incapable of writing a decent, comprehensible paragraph and there will be between 2-5 truly exceptional writers.



a perfect example of the five percent rule in effect....believe you me, it is manifest in ALL aspects of life....call me cocky, arrogant, an elitist or self-serving....BUT....it is a rule that I not only believe exists, but also relish in completely....two to five percent....perhaps that is what i love about academia....well....that and the constant ego-stroking and recognition, of course....rock & roll....matters....deal with it!!! :)

truthfully....

some gems from RYS....Prof. Cranky, to be exact

Q: I never miss class, study like crazy, get extra help, I do everything you tell me to do, but I'm still failing. What am I doing wrong?
A: How the hell should I know? Maybe you're not paying attention in class, not studying correctly, or getting help from the wrong people. It's also possible that you're just not that bright.

Q: I do well on the homework and quizzes, but fail the exams. I guess I'm just a bad test taker. Will this affect my grade?
A: Well obviously it will. Why do you assume you're a bad test taker? Maybe you're just good at taking quizzes or copying your friend's homework, and your exam scores reflect that you aren't learning as much as you thought.

Q: I had no idea homework was due today.
A: Baloney. I make announcements in class constantly about when your next homework is due, and it's on your syllabus.

Q: Your class is full. Can I get in?
A: What do you think "full" means?

Q: I think I'm about to fail this class. Is there anything I can do?
A: Yes. Take the class again.