College Student Who Works Full-Time Complains That Professor Won't Let Her Submit Assignments Virtually
She is struggling to balance her work life and her school life and her professor is not making it any easier.
@asap.yamz / TikTok Balancing education and work can be a daunting task, especially for those who are expected to attend class in person and are denied the option of remote learning. For many college students who work, it can feel as if they have two jobs.
One frustrated college student who works took to TikTok to vent her concerns after her professor denied her the opportunity to make juggling her responsibilities easier.
The student claimed that her professor will not allow her to submit her assignments virtually.
After the covid-19 pandemic, educators were forced to deliver their lessons and assignments to their students online via remote learning.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 1 million times, college student Maryam Al Qaisi revealed the obstacles one of her professors presented her with after she refused her request to submit her assignments virtually.
Even after in-person classes resumed, many professors continued to utilize remote learning by having their classes turn in all of their classwork online.
It is especially beneficial to students who have difficulties making it to in-person classes, whether they are sick, a parent, or have a job outside of school.
However, some professors believe that students should be expected to attend class and submit physical copies of their assignments in person.
Maryam argues that she has a job, which makes it difficult for her to submit all of her assignments in person.
At the start of her video, she addresses that she had a meeting with her professor to discuss one of the assignments that she had submitted prior.
“She insisted that I come in in person to receive said feedback,” Maryam says. She explained to her professor that it was challenging for her to come in during her specific office hours since they conflicted with her work schedule.
“It’s a 30-minute commute and I work full-time,” she shares. Maryam was not expecting the response her professor gave her. “As I’m expressing this to her, her response to me is, ‘If you cannot do both you need to learn to prioritize and just do one.’”
Maryam was stunned by the ultimatum since she had to work to attend school in the first place and was not a choice.
"Don’t you think that I want to live on campus and be surrounded by students and the educational environment so I can actually fully throw myself into my education?” she says. “I can’t support myself and also go to school financially without work.”
Maryam slams her professor for her insensitive comment. She claims that she has juggled work and going to school for five years and it has been anything but easy.
“I’ve been busting my butt for five years just for this professor to think that it’s okay to say something like that?” she vents.
“It’s truly an uphill battle with these professors,” Maryam captioned her video. “It’s hard as it is to do both and they make it ten times more difficult.”
Most TikTok users supported Maryam and agreed that her professor was being unreasonably difficult for only accepting physical copies of assignments.
“Professors are either the kindest people or reaped straight from h–l,” one user commented.
“As a former college professor, I knew that most students worked and I always gave them the option to meet on Zoom/video call! I tried to help as much as I could,” another user shared.
However, others believed that Maryam should not expect her professor to make an exception for her because she works.
“You are acting like your professor’s job is to work around your schedule. The professor’s time is just as important as your job,” one user wrote.
“Rules can’t be bent for one person, then she has to do it for everyone else. She is harsh but she is right. P.S. She isn’t interested in your personal life,” another user pointed out.
Other users suggested that Maryam go to the Dean of Students to help her and her professor reach a fair agreement.
She posted a follow-up video thanking other people for validating her concerns and providing more details of the particular discussion with her professor.
Maryam’s professor had told her that she was “not a printing press” and expected students to print out their own assignments for her to grade since it was easier to mark them up on paper rather than on her computer.
It was also difficult for her to get the assignment in on time since she was in a car accident close to the due date.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.