Gen Y Accused of Entitlement…Again

Posted on February 20, 2009
Filed Under News, The Daily Prereq | By Jessica Gross

If you feel gypped when your papers get anything less than an A, you’re not going to like an article in this week’s New York Times. We’ve heard that Gen Yers feel entitled to top-notch lives: high-paying jobs, fairy tale love stories, fame. Apparently, our entitlement extends to the classroom.

Professors quoted in the Times feel that students come into the classroom expecting to earn top marks, and whine when they think their efforts haven’t been rewarded. “They see the default grade as an A,” University of Maryland professor Marshall Grossman said.

College Candy asked two students for their take. One viewpoint:

If you show up for class, do most of the work, you deserve at least a C. I don’t think professors realize how difficult it is to show up for class amongst all sorts of pressures. We have other classes to worry about, work, parties, TV. And do these professors have any idea how hard it is to show up to a 9am class with a hangover? Hello! You’re lucky I’m even breathing at that point.

And, from the other corner:

Are you kidding me?!? An A for effort? That is wrong on so many levels….Good grades come from working hard and succeeding at the task at hand.

What do you think? Post in comments!

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One Response to “Gen Y Accused of Entitlement…Again”

  1. Sunday Reading: Post-Carnival « MiddBlog on February 22nd, 2009 2:49 pm

    […] GRADES: The NY Times published an article about students’ sense of entitlement and grade disputes, setting off a heated debate. […]

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