A few weeks ago I got a frantic phone call from a mother whose daughter was doing psychology 1001 and failing. I'm not teaching this semester so I am still not quite sure how she got my number. She spoke to me at length about how her daughter wasn’t applying herself to her studies, how she took time off between high school and beginning university and as a result was struggling getting back into the studying routine. Reluctantly I agreed to do some one-on-one tutoring for her daughter, Claire. She gave me her daughter’s number and with much gratitude finally hung up. By this stage I was already mentally shifting my week around to try and work out how to fit her in. I understand how hard it can be to adapt to university life, and work out the best way to study, and I naively thought that I could do a little good and help out a student in need. Plus, during my undergrad years I always felt a little smug at my studying methods, and was happy to be able to pass them along.

I called Claire, and she reiterated that she was failing and that she really needed some help. However arranging a time was a little troublesome as apparently ‘it's really hard to maintain a social life and keep up with first year psychology’. That maybe true, I said to her, but it is important to work out your priorities. She agreed, and after much deliberation she finally found some time to spare. She was worried however that she wouldn't recognise me and asked for a description of what I look like 'short-ish....brown hair....' was all I could say. Well, she said taking charge, I'm blonde and 5'9. Just what I thought, I chuckled to myself.

Ten minutes before she was due to arrive, Claire calls me on the phone. She was running late, would it be alright if we pushed back the time by one and a half hours. I apologised, saying that I had a meeting for the rest of the afternoon. Thus ensued a painful 10 minutes of her deliberating what other time would best suit her. She eventually settled on a time, only then checking that it suited me too.

15 minutes before the lesson was to start, I got the call I was expecting. She had lost the piece of paper with my location, and incidentally, she also forgot to bring her books and written work to university today, ‘is it still worth me coming for a lesson?’ she asks. I told her that it was up to her, and she jumped at the out I gave her, agreeing that it would be a better use of HER time if she came prepared. I didn’t try to organise another time. She tried to mention it, I said to email me, and left it at that.

Does she seriously think that I have all the time in the world to wait until she is ready to get her act together? I just hope her mother won’t call me again – that woman was almost impossible to get off the phone!

I'm not pissed off at all really, the opposite, I'm bemused by the whole thing. I do wonder, however, if she'll attempt to arrange another time. Third time lucky - but lucky for her or lucky for me, I'm not quite sure?!