Sense of Entitlement

I have just about had it with people and their sense of entitlement. I deal with lots of students with this problem, they feel that the rules do not apply to them or that I should do something for them when they fail an exam or hand in work late. Personal situations are often the excuse, and not illness or emergencies, but things like weddings and moving. Why do they feel that I should invest more in their education if they are not willing to? Why do I need to change the rules just for them, while others are meeting deadlines? I do not understand this as at all.

I have been in school at the graduate level for 5 1/2 years and started with a newborn and a two year old. I also moved and had a third child, had a full time job that included travel, etc, and I managed to get my work done and never expected my instructors to make arrangements for me or to change the rules. Going to school was my choice, and I needed to fulfill my responsibilities. It seems that these students feel that since they are paying for an education, we should just hand them the grades. When did this happen?

When I was an undergrad, I would never have behaved this way, I would never have ordered my instructor on how to grade me or how they needed to change things to meet my needs. This has got to end, this is why people in the US work so many hours and are still unproductive. It starts with our children, they need to learn respect and what hard work is. They need to know that the world will not be handed to them on a silver platter and that if they want to achieve something, THEY have to work for it. Argghhh, OK I am done venting!