The deserving poor

Well, sunshine, that isn’t you.

It’s that time of the year when students come wanting references for programmes at American universities over the summer. These are the sorts of programmes where the capacity of mummy and daddy’s wallets to vomit money outweighs the academic mediocrity of the little blots who are applying. I often use the comments section to write missives to pupils about their performance in class, although I am assuming that they even bother trying to read what I write.

There isn’t so much blottery this year apart from one of the indolent numb-skulls in pre-AL β who seems like he’s permanently stoned. He is, I think, one of those pupils who grossly overrates his academic abilities, and who is likely to say things such as “It’s too easy”, but only get 51% in tests.

The pre-AL students are easy to deal with, but I’ve had one of the Ass students want me to write a reference of up to 500 words for him more or less today. 500 words is not that much to me, but it becomes infinitely more difficult when I consider this particular student, who was quite good last year, but who has subsequently been rather indifferent so far this year. His results remain good, but, for example, he should be in the advanced class, and good results are only part of the whole picture.

That’s the thing about students here. They believe that so long as the marks are good, the rest doesn’t matter. Unfortunately, the rest does matter because I know this student is academically good, but he does nothing to stand out in class in a positive fashion. Instead, he thinks that because of his supposed excellence he can do much as he pleases.

This reference is due in a couple of days and the word from the counsellors is not to bother. I’m torn between doing that and writing something, but I don’t know what I can write.

1. Interest in academic work. I’ve seen some evidence, but that was last year. Doing well in one test isn’t sufficient. Also doesn’t look good when he failed to hand in a piece of writing, and when he tells his Economics teacher that he’s focusing on something else and can catch up.
2. Made full use of academic potential. No, he should be in the higher class, but he isn’t, which is why the one result I have isn’t that impressive.
3. Relationships with teachers and peers. One of his teachers can’t even remember him. He’s a bit of a non-entity in class, and seems to think that that’s sufficient. Seems to get on well enough with his classmates, but couldn’t be described as a leading citizen.
4. Character. Quiet, lazy, self-deluding, poor focus.
5. Aims. To do as little work as possible while pretending to be busy, busy, busy.
6. Values. He will value my hard work till he has it, and then he won’t care.

I may scribble down some ideas, but I’m really not happy about doing this at the last minute.