It may be that this person (assuming this is not theoretical) is not really dedicated to their particular field of study, or they do not particularly care about their education. I've seen a lot of students who think that college is a hurdle to get through before beginning their career, not understanding that a job requires the same level of commitment. I think it would be best to ask the student what his or her goals are, and then to address what is needed to achieve those goals.
Thank you. The student in question seems to care about the grade she gets, and not much else. I've seen the same approach in grad students though - they want that PhD, and if they put in the hours, they feel they deserve it. I hope I can talk with the student in question and have her figure out her priorities before she commits to 5-8 years of grad school.
Oh man, I hate that. One time in the class I TAd last semester (LOL I'll stop ranting about it soon, I swear!), the two bad students and their friend (who was doing alright but just coasting and not putting in much effort) were complaining that the quizzes were too hard, and the instructor pointed out how they weren't worth much of the grade and the point of them was to help the students learn, and one of them said "that's not what I'm here for." The instructor was appalled, she didn't really have a response to that.
I wish there were a better way to filter out people like that so they don't get admitted to grad school. It seems to be a really common problem, people think "if I show up and do the bare minimum of what I'm told to do, then I will get handed a degree which will mean I deserve a job where I get paid a ton and I don't have to do anything."
You can do your best to point out to her that she has other options, which is sounds like you are already doing. IMO it's easier when someone is going through the motions to please parents than when their heart is really set on something but they've got little aptitude (like nearly every aspiring actor/writer/photographer/painter/modern tribal dancer I know). And then bring in the, "If you want to be successful in this field, you will need to do X, Y and Z, and consistently do them for 5-8 years more of school, then your entire career." Beyond that, you cannot do much. It's like a friend dating the wrong person over and over. You can advise, but can't force their hand.
Definitely feels like giving dating advice. Like you know the person will learn from own mistakes, but want to give them just a little more info so they can do it that much faster.
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The student in question seems to care about the grade she gets, and not much else. I've seen the same approach in grad students though - they want that PhD, and if they put in the hours, they feel they deserve it. I hope I can talk with the student in question and have her figure out her priorities before she commits to 5-8 years of grad school.
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I wish there were a better way to filter out people like that so they don't get admitted to grad school. It seems to be a really common problem, people think "if I show up and do the bare minimum of what I'm told to do, then I will get handed a degree which will mean I deserve a job where I get paid a ton and I don't have to do anything."
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