July 3, 2007
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Asked And Answered
Were home. IU is a beautiful campus. I'll probably upload pictures eventually. Almost all the buildings are made of limestone and there are flowers everywhere. There are also little bridges and red brick paths, and it's just very pretty. And for the most part I enjoyed the little orientation for the parents. They tried to make it light and funny. AND exspunge and I only got in a couple mild tiffs. I think because we are divorced we know were already free of each other, so it's easier to get along.
As far as the little lectures we had to attend, we had the typical teachers pets who ask stupid questions incessantly. They sit in the front and write everything down. They also ask tons of questions. You would think I would be used to it, the dumb question people have existed forever. The dumb questions just go on and on. But it is a huge pet peeve of mine and being that it was a two day thing, by day two I was ready to rip someones face off.
If you are one of those people who ask multiple questions in a group, here are some tips. I will be using examples from college orientation, but the advice can be used anywhere.
1) Write your stupid questions down and ask after the boring lecture when the rest of us are gone.
2) If you don't do suggestion number one, please don't ask questions that are designed to make the rest of us think you or your child is great. Examples would be: Student: If I didn't score high on the math placement test, but I'm positive that I would excel in organic Chemistry and advanced Calculus, should I just register for those anyway? Parent: My son is an honors student and loves to study, he also wants to abstain from alcohol, and is looking for multiple volunteer opportunities, what should he do and what does the University have to offer him?
3) Pay attention, don't ask questions that have already been answered. There is always one who does that.
4) Don't ask questions that the speaker can't answer or does not pertain to the group topic. If you are in the group Dorm Life, don't ask things like, "Do professors teach the classes or TA's?"
5) Don't ask questions that you should already know the answers . For example, college orientation, there are things you should already know before you even select the school. There are things in the informational books they have already sent you and are online. Do your homework. Another time waister for the rest of us if you don't.
6) Only ask things that would pertain to the whole group. For example, not all our kids have diabetes and asthma and a peanut allergy. Find someone and discuss this one on one. Example of a student question, this can also apply to number two: I have really expensive things that I got on my last trip to Switzerland and Greece, and I need to shower at 8:00am. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, because that's what they told me at the spa and it might be crowded then, how can you meet my needs?
7) please don't ask the same question over and over in a different way, your wasting time and the answer will always be the same.
Ask and answered. Now SHUT UP!
Comments (28)
I ask question constantly in classes, meetings and orientations. But it is because I really want to know.
We get the same jerks at Cub Scout training. We named one guy "Mr. Flow Chart" because he had to ask questions about who is in charge of who. "Hey, Flo Chart, you're in charge of the kids. That's about it."
Ah College....where the best of the ignorant come to make the poorest of us wish for a swift armaggedon.
Ohhhh...this is one of my biggest pet peeves. In teacher's workshops there are always -- always at least two of these people in the class. They drive me absolutely BONKERS!!!! I especially hate it when they ask the same question over and over and over again. :angry1For goodness sake, if you're not smart enough to get it than maybe you shouldn't be here...jeesh. Glad you're back safe and sound and that you were forced to injure anyone during this process...... that must be good right??:tigger34:
I feel like a bad mother. I never went to college orientation with either of my kids. They went to college in our town...so I didn't think I needed to go.
This is actually on yeaterday's entry.
I'm a little late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
About the nut that killed the ducks. I once read that every serial killer--without exception--had a history of torturing and abusing animals before they started on people.
Reading about your experiences at the "House of Missing Marbles" is interesting . I wonder how you keep your sanity...
THOSE kind of people are like roaches.....you can NEVER seem to get rid of them. Welcome home!!!!
OMG, sounds like one of our meetings at work
have a happy fourth !!!
Here, here! They kinda make you wish you had one of those giant, stuffed mallets like at carnivals. Whenever they raise their hand, you can bop 'em on the head and knock 'em back down - like Whack-A-Mole!
In my son's orientation there was a mom who asked about curfew for the dorms. Everyone burst out laughing and she was told there was no curfew. Apparently she wasn't embarrassed because she then asked how she was supposed to make sure her daughter was in her room by midnight if the college didn't enforce a curfew :hmmm22:
Being curious is ok but the narrowly focused self absorbed questions---ahhhhhhh!!!!!
For example: I'm 6 foot 7 inches tall and have rock hard abs--will I fit in the college furniture?
I got a 36 ACT. Will I be challenged?
:shark8:
my son is spending the summer working orientation at his school, the #1 stoopid question asked of him is "how do you make sure my kids not drinking illegally?" - my son answers, how do you know they haven't been drinking already? :greensmileys38:
Yep, I have been to those boring presentation. Son's school is not having an orientation, strange I know. They show up on the seventeenth and they have an orientation. I don't think parents have to do anything. I hope I am right.
Glad you had a good time otherwise. Hope you are rested up. Can't wait to see the pictures.
Hugs, Tricia :wine25: :wine25: :wine25:
one of the TOP things I don't miss about college!
Dear Laura,
As usual, I find your humor refreshing, but sense a tinge of irratability in your tone in this entry. I've always been one of those who finds it most easy to "ask questions" although I certainly hope my questions would never be considered as you have considered some of the questions you are questioning in this article.
:alarm15:
I just put the alarm clock in here because I like your "smileys".
One observation from my workplace. We teach our technicians that there is no such thing as a 'stupid question'. I sometimes find it irritating myself to deal with what I might less favorably call "stupidity", but esp. in a situation, as, at work, where we are dealing with people who might not have as much of a grasp of the English language as I have (that's another whole blog entry right there) the idea that they can always ask questions is actually a good idea.
I see the differences in scenarios. Seems like a lot of the parents in these situations at college meet and greets are in effect "promoting" their children. At USC back when I was at college, we were all sort of little fish in a giant ocean, unless of course one played football real well.
Hope you had a great birthday, and welcome back to Xangaland.
Michael F. Nyiri, poet, philosopher, fool
:cupcake14: And a cupcake.
I think any situation like that should have ALL questions asked & answered AFTER the orientation. I don't care to hear about the personal stuff of others either.
I love the way campus grounds are kept......so lovely! Thinkof them with the leaves changing & the fall smells......ahhhh!:sillygrin28:
I am impressed that you & the ex are able to BE together for things like this. Me & my ex can never be together. I have no worries about that right now. I won't run into him or see him out in public for 2-5 years!!!! Yeah!
i admire your restraint, though i can picture you squirming around in your seat...:greensmileys38:
this is exactly why I love the song, "Here's your sign!!". Some people should have it printed on their forehead! :sillygrin28:
Glad you're home safe and sound!:woohoo19:
number 1 is numba won
I'm glad I didn't have to go to any for my kids. They all went to college here in Minneapolis. :greensmileys38:
Glad your home safe and sound. I hope you had a nice birthday!
Happy 4th of July :hug27:
Sounds like every meeting I have ever had the misfortune to attend. There are so many of those at all of them and so many leaders don't seem to know how to say, we will hold all questions till after the presentation. I learned to ignore raised hands and could overspeak the oral ones till I was ready to give answers. Giving tours was great training. They are still anoying though. Have a great fourth.
....gee...it's sounds very pretty at least..:sunflowers26:..*:) aww..that didn't happen at my son's...it wasn't bad at all...so sorry you had to 'hang around and wait like that'** :alarm15: Bet you are glad it's over*:nap32:* and thank you for the congrats Laura...and Happy 4th to you too!! hugs** love, Lee
http://www.uwants.com/get.php?id=508448
come and hv a look @@
it's so funny!!!!!
when im forced to go to training classes i always end up with the ppl you spoke about and being women they tend to wander away from the topic which i find incredibly frustrating... glad u had the patience to sit through it
THANK YOU!!!
mg24: Stupid question people are one of my BIGGEST pet peeves. I didn't go to college until I was in my upper 20's... and there was this "stupid question" lady in the same program as me... so she like followed me from class to class. I almost changed majors just to get away from this woman!! She's lucky to still be alive. Seriously.
OMG! I am feeling this blog! Hillary's orientation was a 2 day one, too and it could have been SO much shorter! And stupid us...we figured out AFTERWARD that we probably could have skipped out on some of the sessions and just did our own thing...duh! I never ask questions, because I know that some other person will ask it and if they don't, I can call later or look it up online. OH, and the self-promoting questions that people ask! aaaauuuggghh!
Orientation was good in one way though...hubby was really not feeling the whole KU thing for our daughter. He didn't understand why she couldn't go to the smaller college that's 30 miles away. Once he got there and saw the diversity and the extent of everything that KU had to offer Hillary, he completely got it and is all on board now. That, and he found out that KU isn't really any more expensive than any other in-state college, so we're going to be out the money anyway. Although, she probably would have gotten music scholarships everywhere else...but we won't talk about that. lol
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