How independant should college students be?

Question

I teach university level science labs while I'm working on my Ph.D. I just finished teaching a 2 hour lab that most students finished in an hour. I had two students who wasted the first hour trying in vain to get me to do the lab for them or just goofing off. They are in college now, it should be their responsibility to make sure they finish the work - it's not my problem if they fail; it's their fault. They are supposed to be adults now. However, their wasting time wasted a good hour of my time.

Should I have pushed them harder to get the work done? Or was I right to make them motivate themselves to finish it on their own? It's an easy lab with step-by-step instructions; a junior high school student could have done it.

Answer 1

You can only do so much for the class - their motivation, if it's not in the learning of stuff they can use in the real world, should at least be in that "$10,000/year cover charge" for the parties those two particular students must be attending. Then again, if Mommy and Daddy are footing the bill, these kids won't be too motivated until they're failing their classes.

You're right - they're legal adults and need to be treated accordingly. They should be accountable and responsible, and if they feel otherwise, that's tough.

However, I have to disagree on them having wasted an hour of your time - if they left after the 2-hour period (for which you were paid, right?), then no time of yours was really wasted.

Answer 2

Wow, I can hear the frustration in your words. Try adjusting the time given for the labs in the future and explain to them that due to previous observations from their lab assignments there is no reason to give unnecessary time. Its understood that they should be more inclined as adults to take their education seriously, as the other commenter suggested, a lot of students in college are not paying their own way thru so they feel no consequence. And if another lab seems to be going the same path as this one, change the time line there and then, if you notice a group who isn’t goofing around finishing, take the time it took them to finish and use that as the new deadline effective at that moment, then its up to them to either do it or risk failing the lab, tough love. Nothing more than suggestions, but I do hope you find a solution for your own happiness in the pursuit of your career.