--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My students often say, 'My roommate read…" description: "\"My students often say, 'My roommate read this story and really liked it,' and it's hard to convince them that there are things wrong with it. I say, 'W..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/joyce-carol-oates-344_convince_my-students-often-say-my-roommate-read-t_1097993.png" --- # My students often say, 'My roommate read this story and… ![“My students often say, 'My roommate read this story and really liked it,' and it's hard to convince them that there are things wrong with it. I say, 'Well, people who love you want you to be happy. But I'm your professor and I'm supposed to be teaching you something.'” quote by Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/joyce-carol-oates-344_convince_my-students-often-say-my-roommate-read-t_1097993.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/joyce-carol-oates-344_convince_my-students-often-say-my-roommate-read-t_1097993.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/305/joyce-carol-oates-344_convince_my-students-often-say-my-roommate-read-t_1097993.png) > “My students often say, 'My roommate read this story and really liked it,' and it's hard to convince them that there are things wrong with it. I say, 'Well, people who love you want you to be happy. But I'm your professor and I'm supposed to be teaching you something.'” [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A professor struggles to persuade students to critique a popular story despite its appeal. **In simple terms:** Teaching critical thinking over comfort. Key Takeaway Encourage analytical evaluation. Themes education critical thinking literature authority student engagement Mood reflective instructive Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - classroom discussion - literary analysis - peer review - curriculum design Key Concepts pedagogy subjectivity bias evaluation Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance respect for taste with rigorous analysis? - What methods help students see value in critique? A Different Perspective Students may resist critique if they enjoy the work. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Professors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professors/) [Roommate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/roommate/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) ## Related quotes > [I can remember the day when all that a professor was supposed to do was to mark "C minus" on students' examination papers, then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-benchley/i-can-remember-the-day-when-all-that-a-professor-was-supposed-to-do/) [Robert Benchley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-benchley/) > [“I studied law at Columbia, but I was more interested in why people committed crimes than I was in defending them. I finished my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-morgan/i-studied-law-at-columbia-but-i-was-more-interested-in-why-people/) [Sarah Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-morgan/) > [In our schools, they're supposed to be taught to read and write and do mathematics. We are supposed to be teaching them about civics…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-robinson/in-our-schools-they-re-supposed-to-be-taught-to-read-and-write-and-do/) [Mark Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-robinson/) > [My job is to teach someone something they never knew, but it should not be like you're in a prisoner-of-war camp. I'm supposed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-bassler/my-job-is-to-teach-someone-something-they-never-knew-but-it-should/) [Bonnie Bassler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-bassler/) > [Students often say things that they will one day change their minds about, but also things that change our minds when we think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-banerjee/students-often-say-things-that-they-will-one-day-change-their-minds/) [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) > [My own students say they don't trust anyone who voted for Trump. How can you have a democracy with that?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-nussbaum/my-own-students-say-they-don-t-trust-anyone-who-voted-for-trump-how/) [Martha Nussbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-nussbaum/) > [Many of our students say, 'We wish we had a mentor in high school. We wish we had someone we could spend more time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/many-of-our-students-say-we-wish-we-had-a-mentor-in-high-school-we/) [Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/) > [I try to be realistic with students. And say that there's a good chance that they're not going to get a creative writing teaching…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/i-try-to-be-realistic-with-students-and-say-that-there-s-a-good/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [We get notes sent to us backstage from college students that say, 'My parents used to play your albums all the time! I grew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-wilson/we-get-notes-sent-to-us-backstage-from-college-students-that-say-my/) [Nancy Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-wilson/) > [Being personally acquainted with a number of Waldorf students, I can say that they come closer to realizing their own potential than practically anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-weizenbaum/being-personally-acquainted-with-a-number-of-waldorf-students-i-can/) [Joseph Weizenbaum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-weizenbaum/) > [Yes, 'Black Girl/White Girl' might be described as a 'coming-of-age' novel, at least for the survivor Genna. It is also intended as a comment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/yes-black-girl-white-girl-might-be-described-as-a-coming-of-age-novel/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I gained the weight on purpose for 'Little Nicky,' and it was one of those cases where I'd done a few roles where I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-covert/i-gained-the-weight-on-purpose-for-little-nicky-and-it-was-one-of/) [Allen Covert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-covert/) > [A good roommate may be the single most important thing to have when one is away at school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-dana/a-good-roommate-may-be-the-single-most-important-thing-to-have-when/) Barbara Dana > [“It was great not having a roommate. I didn’t have to turn the lights off and go to bed, like, ever. I took my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cat-marnell/it-was-great-not-having-a-roommate-i-didn-t-have-to-turn-the-lights/) [Cat Marnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cat-marnell/) > [Miami Beach - that's where I grew up, in a middle-class Jewish family led by my maternal grandfather. Me, my great-grandmother - a Holocaust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-ratner/miami-beach-that-s-where-i-grew-up-in-a-middle-class-jewish-family/) [Brett Ratner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-ratner/) ## More by Joyce Carol Oates > [“A woman who has lost her husband is invalid, thus an invalid. In”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-woman-who-has-lost-her-husband-is-invalid-thus-an-invalid-in/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Running! If there's any activity happier, more exhilarating, more nourishing to the imagination, I can't think of what it might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/running-if-there-s-any-activity-happier-more-exhilarating-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [You need so much energy and encouragement to write that if someone says something negative, some of that energy goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/you-need-so-much-energy-and-encouragement-to-write-that-if-someone/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-learned-long-ago-that-being-lewis-carroll-was-infinitely-more/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Paradox: how do we know what we have failed to see because we have no language to express it, thus we cannot know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/paradox-how-do-we-know-what-we-have-failed-to-see-because-we-have-no/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [At all crucial moments in our lives we want to speak without knowing what to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/at-all-crucial-moments-in-our-lives-we-want-to-speak-without-knowing/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [A writer’s life is in his work, and that is the place to find him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/a-writer-s-life-is-in-his-work-and-that-is-the-place-to-find-him/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The challenge is to resist circumstances. Any idiot can be happy in a happy place, but moral courage is required to be happy in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-challenge-is-to-resist-circumstances-any-idiot-can-be-happy-in-a/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [The first sentence cant be written until the final sentence is written.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-first-sentence-cant-be-written-until-the-final-sentence-is-written/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [“Did you know, Marianne: how by breaking the code that day, you broke it forever? For us all?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/did-you-know-marianne-how-by-breaking-the-code-that-day-you-broke-it/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > ['The Accursed' is very much a novel about social injustice as the consequence of the terrible, tragic division of classes - the exploitation not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/the-accursed-is-very-much-a-novel-about-social-injustice-as-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [Keep a light, hopeful heart. But expect the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/keep-a-light-hopeful-heart-but-expect-the-worst/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [And this is the forbidden truth, the unspeakable taboo - that evil is not always repellent but frequently attractive; that it has the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/and-this-is-the-forbidden-truth-the-unspeakable-taboo-that-evil-is/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I don't think that writer's block exists really. I think that when you're trying to do something prematurely, it just won't come. Certain subjects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/i-don-t-think-that-writer-s-block-exists-really-i-think-that-when-you/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [... such speculation is like staring into the hot white sun. you know the sun is there but you can't see a thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/such-speculation-is-like-staring-into-the-hot-white-sun-you-know-the/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) [Explore all 658 Joyce Carol Oates quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) ## More Convince quotes > [“Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we convince ourselves that it is true.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/sometimes-we-want-something-to-be-true-so-badly-that-we-convince/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [The privilege of prayer to me is one of the most cherished possessions, because faith and experience alike convince me that God himself sees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilfred-grenfell/the-privilege-of-prayer-to-me-is-one-of-the-most-cherished/) [Wilfred Grenfell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilfred-grenfell/) > [Jesus never met a disease he could not cure, a birth defect he could not reverse, a demon he could not exorcise. But he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/jesus-never-met-a-disease-he-could-not-cure-a-birth-defect-he-could/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [The first duty of a wise advocate is to convince his opponents that he understands their arguments, and sympathies with their just feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/the-first-duty-of-a-wise-advocate-is-to-convince-his-opponents-that/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [Once you convince people that they're victims, you really own them because you've just told them that whatever problems they have in life, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/once-you-convince-people-that-they-re-victims-you-really-own-them/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [The people on the QVC shopping channel convince me that life is worth living. They see the good in everything. People who go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnny-vegas/the-people-on-the-qvc-shopping-channel-convince-me-that-life-is-worth/) [Johnny Vegas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnny-vegas/) > [“What can I say to convince you the Houses of Parliament dissolve night after night to become the fluid dream of the Thames? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisel-mueller/what-can-i-say-to-convince-you-the-houses-of-parliament-dissolve/) [Lisel Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisel-mueller/) > [Human beings have the incredible capacity for denial. I think they do. And although it's really hard to believe, I have my doubts. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-byrne/human-beings-have-the-incredible-capacity-for-denial-i-think-they-do/) [David Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-byrne/) > [“If you can convince yourself, you can convince the other fellow,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-sanders/if-you-can-convince-yourself-you-can-convince-the-other-fellow/) [Tim Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-sanders/) > [Don't lie to yourself about what you can't or can achieve. Convince yourself on a realistic level that you can do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/don-t-lie-to-yourself-about-what-you-can-t-or-can-achieve-convince/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Don't ever let anyone convince you that your imagination is wrong.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giuseppe-bianco/don-t-ever-let-anyone-convince-you-that-your-imagination-is-wrong/) [Giuseppe Bianco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giuseppe-bianco/) > [It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-helberg/it-s-hard-to-convince-your-agents-and-managers-to-do-theater-because/) [Simon Helberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-helberg/) > [I guess that is the strange part of the human brain that people have studied for eons - is hatred and self-hatred. You can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/i-guess-that-is-the-strange-part-of-the-human-brain-that-people-have/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [I knew I shouldn't like him cause I know it's not working, and everybody tells me that, and I convince myself I don't... and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/i-knew-i-shouldn-t-like-him-cause-i-know-it-s-not-working-and/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [The statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/the-statesmen-will-invent-cheap-lies-putting-the-blame-upon-the/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) Browse all 1,431 Convince quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My students often say, 'My roommate read this story and really liked it,' and it's hard to convince them that there are things wrong with it. 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