Preparation for the Facebook Onslaught

This is the time of year where "super" seniors muster up their last bit of energy (energy they have been conserving all semester as the have not done much more than complain and try to use "senior" status to get by) to get those last few points for a passing grade.  Students that have basically lagged ALL semester are now in beastmode trying to "get'r done" as Larry the Cable Guy would say.  All for what?  In hopes of passing a class that you've had all semester to pass?  Why the sudden burst of energy?  Why the sudden "need" to speak to the professor who has been waiting patiently in their office all semester for you to show up, who has been sitting in study sessions alone for the better part of 3 months waiting for some student to take the initiative to come in and get some help.  But in this 11th hour attempt to look like a student, students end up falling short and blaming their failures on the instructor.

At this point in my academic career, I am no longer interested in being the "friend" of my students.  I've come to realize that it is my job to preapare students for the real world AND teach them as much organic chemistry as possible while doing so.  "Friendly"  teachers quickly lose the respect of their students and the students feel like they can bring any bootleg excuse to you and you will accept it because "you're cool".  I'm not out to be a jerk, but the line has to be drawn in the sand such that students respect the student/teacher interface and the student/teacher relationship.  "Friendly" teachers are like "Player's coaches" in the NFL- things look good for a while but eventually the inmates will run the asylum leaving the "coach/teacher" hapless and with zero control of the situation.  While we converse on many levels outside of class, when in class the relationship is professor/student and business.  I often wonder how students can have the mentality of "I will work harder once I get in the real world." when college is preparation for the real world.  You don't start training when you get in the fight, you train before the fight.  Students that are lazy, disorganized and cannot maintain deadlines carry those bad habits over to the workplace and soon find themselves shuffling from job to job.  How can you expect someone to make a huge monetary investment in you when you won't even invest the time that it takes to come to class and get every ounce of knowledge that is possible out of the professor?  The litany of excuses has become so boring to me until I almost want to just walk away in mid-sentence.  As my old basketball coach, coach Larry Bowman, would say- "it's not about excuses, it's about results!"  We live in a results driven society and those that do not produce results get left by the wayside.  Lesson 1 for every student that reads this, never make an excuse for something that you are clearly the blame for.  Take responsibility for your own actions and in doing so, you will become a better person and learn to make better decisions.

With that being said, I am fully prepared for the Facebook onslaught of sly remarks, complaints and other drivel that people resort to when the blame is on them but they refuse to accept it.  Here's to you, o whiny ones.  If there ever was a time to suck it up and say, "I screwed up.", this would be that time.  Post away and rememeber that I don't have an account anymore, lol. 
In all seriousness, take your education seriously.  Never commend into someone else's hands that which you should take responsibility for yourself.  Stop blaming instructors and start taking the initiative to do what it takes OUTSIDE of class so that the performance INSIDE the class shows.  God bless and Godspeed on all of your final exams.