Time to start worrying about your grade! I have several students coming in next week to discuss their grades. Which is generally obvious, as I post all their grades in Blackboard so they know exactly what they're getting. At least these students are being a little more proactive about it. It never fails that as soon as the final exam is over, and usually after I've given the final grades, someone e-mails me: "I know I made D's on all the tests, but I really need a C or I'll lose my ____ scholarship."
When I first started teaching I used to harp on grades and remind the students that if they weren't doing well they could come to me for help, remind them of drop dates, etc. And most of the time they didn't listen to me. So this semester I took a different tack. Just like I'm not taking attendance, I decided to treat the students like adults. The last day to drop is on my syllabus calendar, my syllabus quiz had a statement for them to sign about not whining when they get the grade they've earned (but in nicer language), etc. They are adults and they need to learn how to act like it. If I coddle them too much, they're in for a shock when they get to an upper level class. And I finally realized that no matter how much I may want to help my students, they have to be willing to help themselves first.
