Need to Vent

Which is partly what a blog is for, of course. Venting, that is.

I really, really hate it when people don't think. Not as in "absent-mindedness" sort of nonthinking behaviour, but as in "spoon-feed me the answers to every question on this assignment", with the implicit air of "I am entitled to answers, give them to me".

Such an attitude grates on me, especially when I am busily working on different assignments. Don't interrupt unless you have something important to say*, of which "help me on the assignment *I* am working on" is not. Especially when there's no evidence of prior thinking.

The class isn't pre-med, either (as if that's an excuse). In addition, I am not even a TA in the course - just another student. Frustrating, that. And people assume that I know all the answers, too! Am I supposed to know all the course material of a course I've never taken before, now? Do people have a right to get mad at me when I don't immediately know the approach to a problem? I will help. If I can. And if I wanted to. Not whenever someone demands it.

By the way, in these situations, flattery incenses me even further. I'd rather have someone actually thinking about the problem than people who tell me I am clever therefore I know the solution to the problem and should share it with them. Some evidence of non-cursory thinking is all that I ask. Is that really too much?

Isn't helping students understand course material what the professor* is for, anyway? (*Tries to load off annoying students - sorry professor*** *.) Why bug me? And obviously the professor will have the good sense to give intelligent hints instead of getting grumpy...

And now. Back to *my* assignment.

*With very few exceptions, messages from people that are not my parents are unimportant when I am doing assignments. Unless the assignment is really boring.
**For the record, the professor of this particular course is quite good, and would've been able to help out any student who actually asked for help. Note the emphasis. Incidentally, the course has a marker but no TA.
***I just sounded like those prickly keeners who feel as qualified as the professor, didn't I? I didn't mean to! *Ducks* (Seriously, I know that I don't know much.)