So a couple days ago I got the joy of sitting down with the final draft of my group's research proposal paper. I wrote the majority of the paper myself, and I have to say, it's pretty good. Very good, actually. Anyhow, going over the paper with the other group members (1 other graduate student, 1 male undergraduate, and 1 female undergraduate), I got to experience the joy of hearing the female undergraduate's "helpful" suggestions.
It wouldn't have been so bad if she was willing to listen to my explanations for why she was completely, utterly, and horribly wrong in 95% of the "corrections" she suggested, but unfortunately, she was insistent that she WAS right, despite the mammoth differences between her own and my credentials.
At first, I tried to explain why her "corrections" in fact made the sentences/paragraphs/words more INcorrect. Then, I gave up. She clearly didn't understand a word of what I was saying. So I just started flat out rejecting her ridiculous corrections, which led her to sulk and (seriously) ask me "Are you an English major or something?" as if my explanations for why she was wrong would ONLY be valid if I was an English major.
What. An. Annoying. eh, Person.
I was proud of myself though. Despite seething at her stupidity and impudence, I never broke down and brutally expressed the harsh reality of the situation:
"Look, I'm sorry, if we disagree on something, we're going with my opinion. Why? Let's start with the obvious: I am a graduate student, you are an undergraduate. Not enough? OK, we'll move on to information gleaned about you from conversations: you have a 1.9 GPA (mine is roughly twice that), you are taking this class for the second time (having failed it the first), and you scored 10 points lower than me on that 40-point test in this class last week."
Again, could have said, but didn't. I am a saint.
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1 comment:
This makes me want to yell.
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