# Classroom participation part of the grade.... grrrrr



## Propaganda (Oct 26, 2010)

It seems many classes put an emphasis on classroom participation.

How do you handle this? Do nothing, talk to the professor, or squeak out some BS every now and again?


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## obsidianavenger (Sep 1, 2011)

i always hated that shyte. how does being extroverted reflect the quality of your understanding? but unfortunately the professors get to make the rules. in classes where this applied i would usually just force myself to make a comment to the class every once and awhile... it shocked me how physical my reaction was (pounding heart, sweaty palms, feeling ill, etc) buuuuuut when it was over the next time would be a little bit easier. i think overall its better in the long run to force yourself to do it.


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## Event Horizon (Feb 23, 2011)

Okay this is the exact same freak out I have about this semester..one of my classes, PoliticalSci (which is way over my head, as I'm a science major), counts participation points as equivalent to one exam. That is a whole lot of malarkey...Especially when the class discussion is almost always dominated by the same 5 people.


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## Event Horizon (Feb 23, 2011)

I did like a 4 hour research on the Melian Dialogue to establish a link to certain current events, complete with compare and contrasts and chickened out at the last minute...Yeah the class participation thing is definitely bullshiite because I had said understanding, more that the ones that spoke, yet couldn't voice it because i had all these hang ups. Just not fair.

I sit at the front row, dead center. So I hope that counts for something


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## Ilio (Jul 16, 2009)

I usually got zero points for participation. When I told the professor about it, he just said I had to work on my problem. He didn't realised how hard it was for me. The grades didn't change.


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## Tinkerbell20 (Aug 16, 2011)

I only participate when I absolutely have to. Like if we are just having a discussion I am quiet, but if I have to get in front of the class I will do it. Its just really scary for me, but if you don't go up then people are going to look at you for not going up. Either way people are going to notice you, and unfortunately the only way we all can improve is by facing our fears. Good luck with your class.


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## shyvr6 (Feb 18, 2008)

I'm in the same boat since my class is pretty much about relationships. Participation is 25% of the grade. I think the best way is to blurt out an answer at least once a class session if you know the answer to it. At least that's what I'm gonna try to do in order to slide my way through it. It doesn't really help that my teacher is a therapist so I'm going to be paranoid that she's going to know all about me just through my actions in class. Also, she's probably around my age and is kind of hot.


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## velocicaur (Aug 8, 2009)

I usually don't participate. It usually is only 5-10% of your grade. If you get A's on your tests and papers, you'll still get an A. It's some bull that just tries to scare students into thinking they have to participate to do get a good grade.

-family of professors.


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## TunaMelt89 (Feb 20, 2011)

all my classes is all about participation. luckily there are 70 students so not enough time for everyone to participate. What I'm dreading is the debate team and group projects that is coming up. yikes!!


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## Jess2 (Oct 2, 2011)

Ive only had one class where this was necessary...I would ask an open ended question, and listen to the catholic guy and the hipster duke it out. 

Actually, in my organic class now, the teacher calls on random students to answer questions.. we get 2 marks if we're there, and 3 if we answer it right... that is kind of nerve racking.. whenever he's looking through the list my heart drops. but it's not as bad as having to be the one to initiate.


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## lonelyjew (Jan 20, 2010)

When looking at what qualities are most favored for getting a job, at the top of the list are communications skills, and ability to work as a team member. As much as we hate these sorts of things, it's actually far better to get used to them now, then go into interviews, and be unable to get any job, because your SA makes you seem like you won't be a good team member.


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## Embassy (Feb 21, 2011)

.


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## anti-socialsocialite (May 1, 2011)

Might as well look at it as an opportunity to overcome your fears. As a challenge. I always freak out inside whenever I have to speak to go up and speak to the class and half the time I seem to make a complete fool of myself but it's for the better in the long run.


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## blue the puppy (Jul 23, 2011)

this is precisely why i don't make participation part of the grade in the classes i teach 

when ive taken classes, ive usually just let my grades take the hit. like others said, its usually only a small portion of the grade. 

once i had a class where a huge percentage of the grade was participation, so i came to class a few times slightly drunk .. that took care of that, i couldn't put my hand down! but i dont suggest it as a solution.

if your anxiety has been diagnosed, you could probably go to your university's disability support office and get some documentation that might let you off the hook .. not sure as ive never tried this myself, but it may at least get your instructor to take you seriously.


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## Propaganda (Oct 26, 2010)

blue the puppy said:


> this is precisely why i don't make participation part of the grade in the classes i teach
> 
> when ive taken classes, ive usually just let my grades take the hit. like others said, its usually only a small portion of the grade.
> 
> ...


Lol, on the slighting intoxicate part. =) Just 1/2 a beer or whatever would be a 180 for me, quite noticeably.

For some reason I have no, well I should say little, issue with speaking in my Humanities class. It's a small class of 25, I sit front middle, and the thing is, besides the girl next to me, who is vocal, I don't know anyone in my class. I don't know them in the sense I don't notice them there, many of them look like a pack of rats uninterested in the Hellenistic period. Plus I really like the class, have a quick understanding of the material, and the prof is a nice warm lady. (makes a HUGE diff)

My english and math class is another story. I realized I am more vocal when am *sitting closer to the prof*, so I am going to move to, yep, upfront middle. Everyone behind me melts away. Besides, the only two people I want to impress is the prof and the cute girl. *blush*

But, no, it's not yet worth the hassle of documentation. (or cost) However, I am bipolar type II with ultradian which makes any situation with stress a roller coaster of two extremes. My BP caused me to drop out twice many years ago.

thanks


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## BlueandYellow (Sep 20, 2011)

Yeah I've always had this problem...In my AP English class we had class discussions daily (it was pretty much what the entire class was) and around middle of the year I told my teacher after school that I had trouble speaking up because of my social anxiety (even though I wasn't yet diagnosed). He said he understood and thanked me for telling him. He asked me what I wanted to do about it and I ended up just writing a short paragraph about my opinion of the discussion and gave it to him after school. I ended up doing really well in the class because of this.

And sometimes just writing out my thoughts in class I was able to be more confident when I did speak up occasionally.


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## blue the puppy (Jul 23, 2011)

Propaganda said:


> I realized I am more vocal when am *sitting closer to the prof*, so I am going to move to, yep, upfront middle.


im the same way, if i need to speak up in a class its a lot easier when it seems like its just me and the professor in the room. i hope it works for you.


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## CoolUnderFire (Oct 11, 2011)

I honestly just never bother to participate, even if my marks depend on it.

I just can't bring myself to force out a comment, just so I can receive some marks.


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## Jess2 (Oct 2, 2011)

I got called in in class today, and to make it worse it was at the end of the period, so i was what was stopping the rest of the class from leaving.
holy awkward.

and to make it worse, I got the question wrong.. but I think i reacted okay. My hand was shaking so badly when I went up to draw what I had to draw.. (equilibrium structures of cis 1,2-dibromocycloheptane, fyi)... but i figured out where I went wrong and I will probably do better on the midterm because of it.. so i feel good.


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## Antis (Nov 2, 2010)

Some of my modules are 50% participation, 50% exam... FML! I haven't gone to a seminar yet.... I know I'll have to tommorrow or I might fail, 4 units of alcohol should do the job.


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## Marlon (Jun 27, 2011)

Yeah, participation points is total baloney. It's not fair for the shy kids!


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## cafune (Jan 11, 2011)

I know, I hate it when they grade class participation. I don't even understand why it's relevant. Just lazy teachers that don't actually want to mark their students work, and take the easy route by making class participation a good chunk of their grade.

Like last year's philosophy class. I didn't say a word. Had many opinions on what we were talking about, but I couldn't actually say anything... To have my opinion challenged and then have to defend it, just not my cup of tea. Blech. Drives me crazy when I think that my mark took a major hit because I refused to say anything. Maybe if I were just stupid, they could take off marks, but because I didn't say anything? Just unfair.


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## anxiousguy (Aug 7, 2011)

If I have do present a paper I will force myself to do it. As far as discussions I do not really take part even when it is part of my grade.


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## herz (Sep 12, 2011)

I occasionally squeak out something (when I know I have lost many participation points, which really hurts me considering I care about my grades a lot)


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## BlackRose12 (Oct 22, 2011)

I have the same problem. In my Human development class half of the final grade is about class participation. My classes are in english which make things worse because my mother language is spanish.. -.- All I can do is study a lot and sometimes I ask teachers if I can do any extra homework u.u


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

Depending on the amount of participation required, it increases the chances that a student will ask or say something that doesn't really add anything to the conversation. Natural curiosity is a beautiful thing. In addition, it detracts someone's attention away from the lecture if he/she is mulling over what to say. Social phobics have it worse because we constantly worry others will judge us negatively, including the comments we make. I don't think class participation should be required, just encouraged.


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## InfiniteBlaze (Jan 27, 2011)

Squeak out some BS every now and again. Takes balls but I can do it.


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## GodlessVegan (Oct 21, 2011)

The only class in which I have to participate in is French class but it's only a small percentage of the entire grade so I blow it off and spend the school year in silence.


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## sociallyretarded (Aug 3, 2010)

I hate this too. In politics class we have debates practically every week, so there goes my participation mark. Which really sucks because I'm much better a writing, which we hardly ever do (WTF).


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## winterrose (Oct 23, 2011)

I'm in a human development program and a lot of the professors are very understanding about the fact that people are different and that they base class participation on showing up, doing assignments, and talking. So people that are not that verbal as long as they show up and do the in-class assignments they still get the points. It makes me feel a lot more comfortable and I participate when I feel comfortable enough to. I try to make a goal for myself to try to at least participate in class once or twice a week since I'm not the most talkative. @[email protected] The girls in this major are majorly social and talkative though compared to me so it's hard to get a word in sometimes.

Though in grade school they would always give me a check or a check minus in that category. Though there were some caring teachers that were more understanding. ._. Though one almost tried to hold me back despite having all As because she said I didn't participate much and I was 'immature'. My mom let me go on. >>;


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## Dkate (Oct 7, 2011)

it sucks.or formative assesment,giving speeches and stuff...i dread it.


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## cherrycola (Oct 22, 2011)

I hate participation marks. Those annoying kids who just love to hear themselves talk get full marks and you get none because you have a panic attack just thinking about raising your hand.


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## Elizabeth419 (Sep 9, 2010)

If there's no online participation component, then I'll force myself to talk. I sit at the very front of the room so that I don't have to raise my quiet voice too much, and that way the students can't see your face when you speak. It'll feel like talking just to the prof.


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