To The Professor Who Always Cancels Class:
I have an intense love/hate relationship with you.
I hear my email ping and I reach into my bag for my phone. I see that it's a class notification from Canvas. The subject line reads: "No class XX/XX".
Part of me is eternally grateful and elated. There are so many possibilities that go through my head. Maybe I'll go home early or maybe I'll stay at work later so that I can leave early later in the week. Maybe I'll use that time to be studious and productive: maybe I'll find a nice cozy spot on campus and catch up on homework so that I don't have to stay up as late to get it done, or maybe I'll finally schedule the appointment I've been trying to make for a week. Maybe I'll go get coffee and hangout with a friend for a bit.
The possibilities are endless.
When you cancel class occasionally it is a wonderous thing. Having that extra time to just be and catch up is a precious gift that students rarely get and always ask for.
When you cancel class repeatedly it drives me insane.
Putting it bluntly, I work incredibly hard to be able to afford my own tuition. I have pretty much put myself through school for two years, with little help from financial aid or scholarships. I am intimately aware of how expensive tuition is, and how hard it is to save that much money. I know the anxiety of worrying that you won't be able to save enough, soon enough.
This is part of the reason I take my education so seriously. I don't want to feel like I am wasting my time, wasting my money, or not getting enough bang for my buck. If I fail or slack off, I essentially waste all of that money, time, and energy.
When you cancel class, all I can see is dollar signs. Money that I've already spent being flushed down the toilet, or crumpled into a ball and thrown away. Skipping class is a waste of money. Cancelling class is a waste of money.
Look at it from my perspective:
My tuition is $3,754 every quarter. This is before the cost of books, but includes fees.
I am taking three classes this quarter, so $3,754/ 3 = $1,251 per quarter, per class.
Spring Quarter is 10 weeks long. Two of my classes meet three days a week, and the other one meets twice a week.
10 weeks in a quarter X 3 classes per week = 30 classes per quarter.
10 weeks in a quarter X 2 classes per week = 20 classes per quarter.
$1,251 per quarter, per class/30 classes per quarter = $41.70 per class.
$1,251 per quarter, per class/20 classes per quarter = $62.55 per class.
This means that every Monday, Wednesday, Friday class costs me $41.70, and every Tuesday and Thursday class costs me $62.55. It's money that I've already paid, for a service I'm not receiving.
Do you see where my issue is?
Every time you cancel class, I see a dollar figure that represents how much money I have essentially wasted or lost.
And let me tell you, these amounts add up quickly. I've had my Tuesday and Thursday class cancelled four times this quarter (it's the end of week 5, beginning of week 6); that's $250.20 that I will never see again.
Will you give me a refund? Can I get that $250.20 back? If it were any other service or product, I would be entitled to a refund in a heartbeat.
So while I may love it when you cancel class, giving me the opportunity for some much-needed down-time, deep down inside, I also kind of hate you for it.
Sincerely,
The Broke College Kid Who Just Wants Her Money's Worth
