- i will not write recommendation letters for calculus students.
what is there to say? calculus is too basic to form any assessment on a student. - if the student studies science or engineering, then (s)he should have completed her/his calculus coursework and should instead ask their differential equations or linear algebra instructor for her/his coveted letter.
the content of those later courses might be advanced enough to form an opinion of whether the student is any good. - you may ask: what if the student has just learned calculus I or II, and hasn't yet taken an advanced course?
- should they really be applying to these research programs, if they are not yet prepared?
- or you could ask: what if the student's program doesn't require more advanced mathematics?
- if the program's content isn't mathematically heavy, then should you really be asking for a letter of recommendation from your mathematics instructor?
- in fact, half the days of the week i wonder whether the concept of an american "undergraduate education" is really education, or if it is pre-job training (read: hoop-jumping and busywork) and a fiscal investment (read: high tuition).
don't mind me, i guess. bitter thoughts prevail quite easily in me.
Friday, February 10, 2006
i will make a solemn, cynical vow.
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3 comments:
OK, so I am also frustrated with my Calculus students this semester. But I hope you'll reconsider this decision. Recommendation letters are required not only for advanced programs, but also, say, for educational loans. (A part of which may eventually end up in your bank account ;-). And you might be the only instructor who knows the student well enough to remember his/her name.
After all, it is not a lot of work to write a letter following some template such as http://career.ucsd.edu/fs/PDFs/WritLtrsRefUCSDStud.pdf
And you might be the only instructor who knows the student well enough to remember his/her name.
funny you mention it. that was the reason my student gave when asking for the recommendation, and probably the only reason why i'm actually writing it.
there is a difference, however, between knowing a student's name and knowing enough about them to write something positive. i'm sure that my former student is talented and wonderful and will make a fine research fellow at the program (s)he wants .. but do i really know that?
not really. and i hate being uncertain about that sort of thing if i'm trying to argue on someone's behalf.
but do i really know that?
Actually, you don't have to. It's up to the program administration to decide if the student is good enough for them. You can only write what you know.
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