To the Professor That Doesn’t put Grades in

When the semester winds down, grade-related stress goes up

By: Claire Redell

Hi - it’s me again. I know you probably won’t respond to (or much less read) this, but if you do, hopefully you will entertain the idea of acknowledging this plea. I would really, really appreciate it if you would upload my grades. I let it slide for the first few weeks of the semester, but now I’m worried. At this rate, I’m not sure how many more nights I can spend falling into an existential crisis before my Canvas dashboard, wondering whether or not I did alright on my exam from back in September. I understand the semester is winding down and you’re undeniably busy (much like myself), but this is starting to feel like a double standard. Truthfully, I struggle to justify stressing over deadlines if you don’t plan on even glancing at an assignment until weeks or even months after I submit it. If I’m going to have to wait until finals week to see my score on a quiz from the first week of school, could you at least give me the benefit of the doubt when you get around to it? It’s the least you could do. 

Illustration by Emily Jablonski

Honestly, at this point, I won’t even be mad if you don’t leave me feedback. Just a grade. I shudder at the very thought of those ugly red “MISSING” notifications that occupy my grade portal. Also, if I’m being honest, I’d really like to know how much I need to study for the final exam. Speaking of which, what if I’ve been doing everything wrong this entire time and I don’t even know it? Waiting for my final grades to be posted is going to give me more stress than any exam I’ve ever taken. For now, I guess all I can do is keep my fingers crossed as I wait for the *PING* of a Canvas email. 

Sincerely,

A (very) stressed student