Need advice regarding talking to my teacher about missed assignment!

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I had a group project due for my Organizational Behavior class. There's 2 in the whole semester. The first one I had difficulties with my group. (90% my fault) I agreed to do some extra work in order to make up any hard feelings for the 2nd one. That 'extra work' became ½ the entire project. I didn't complain, since I came up with the idea. To show good faith, I did ¾ of my part (out of 8 parts total) well before it was due, which was way ahead of the chapter it was covered. Spent a lot of time doing those assignments, since we didn't cover it and it was the 3 hardest questions. The only ones that also required outside research. </p>

<p>The project was due the 28th of July, and I planned on doing the last part on Friday. Thursday the 22nd I got sick in the stomach. I was unable to reach a bowel movement and I was in constant pain. Happened again the next day. I kept delaying doing the assignment until Saturday, then Sunday. On Monday it was terrible, and I still had yet to make any bowel movement. I soldered on and did the project, and didn't complain to anyone. I went to all my classes, even when sitting upright was in agony. </p>

<p>I was afraid I had an ulcer, so I checked the doctor. Turns out I had a bad gastritis attack. Gave me laxatives and prilosec. Thing is, on-campus doctors don't give out doctors notes. Instead, they claim its campus policy to take the students word, and the teacher has to request a note. This never works out for students…</p>

<p>Anyway, the pain was terrible on Tuesday, and I finished the project. I even printed out the peer review sheet just in case I was in too much pain the next day and forget it. </p>

<p>I still spent the entire night and day trying to perfect the assignment. Analyzing every small subsect. One of the parts a group member did was so terrible I had to rewrite the whole thing. So really, I did more than ½ of the entire project that's split between 5 people! </p>

<p>I normally check the syllabus if I get everything right, but I was in so much pain on Wednesday that I was thinking entirely 1-D.</p>

<p>I came to class with report and peer review sheet all filled out, and I didn't realize I was supposed to submit the peer review online. She wouldn't accept it, and reassured me "we all make mistakes". I wasn't thinking clear at the time. Everything was pain, but I don't think she realized I was. The peer review was worth 50% of the whole grade. in other words, I did double the project, and got only ½ the credit. </p>

<p>I want to discuss with her how I felt, and how my judgment was impaired due to constant pain and discomfort. But I don't want to make things worse. tomorrow's the last day of class. Should I discuss this with her? Thanks all!</p>

<p>PS: I'm alright now, thanks for asking. ;)</p>

2

<p>To add: She is the kind of teacher to be a hard-a$$ and I’m mostly afraid that asking questions could negatively impact my grade.</p>

3

<p>Yes, talk to your teacher, who’ll probably require a doctor’s note, which you then should obtain.</p>

<p>Do not tell your teacher all of the details of your bowel problems. They are far too intimate details to be telling anyone except medical personnel or perhaps your mom, and it was not necessary to post them on this board.</p>

<p>Tell her you had a painful physical problem, and say you can obtain a doctor’s note if she requests one. Also tell her about what you did for the project including helping to edit/revise another student’s work. Explain the latter without making the other student sound like an incompetent or lazy person.</p>

4

<p>In the future, you need to email your professors as soon as this kind of thing happens. I have a digestive disorder and very often get horribly ill in the ways you described and beyond and miss school. Sometimes it is just impossible to function when you are in that kind of constant pain. They are a lot more willing to work with you if you don’t wait until after it’s all over to tell them what’s going on. And if you can help it, go to a doctor that will give you a note. I just had to do that last week because I got very ill and missed two weeks of school, I don’t have insurance so to see a non-school doctor was kind of a financial disaster but I needed the note or I would have failed my class. You have to advocate for yourself, you can’t just sit there while your homework doesn’t get done and ask for forgiveness later-- that tends not to work out as well.</p>

<p>I would make an appointment with your professor and explain that you were very painfully ill and hope she cuts you a break, but without the doctors note you are asking her to rely on your word alone. You really need to try and get one.</p>