Students don't think

It is so important that we teach our students to be critical thinkers. I'm not sure why, but so many of them come to us and are either apathetic, lazy, or something else I'm not sure what.

I have plenty of examples from over the years, from my classes alone - but here is just a recent one. Our college has an email address that is not really publicized anyplace. One would have to stumble across it in order to find it. It is used mostly for things like warranties, etc...

I monitor that email address and just now we got an email from a student

I need a permit for the following course:

Fall 2008
GNED-199-##
NEW STUDENT SEMINAR #####

XXXXX XXXXXXXXX

CWID: ########


So - this student writes to an email address that has nothing to do with the course, or registration, or the department - and, in fact, I have no idea how s/he even found the address. The student even goes so far as to include his/her CWID, which is MSU's replacement for the SS#, meaning, it is not something s/he should be dropping into an email that s/he has no idea where it is going.

The New Student Seminar has an office, a phone, counselors and staff here all the time to help students, they do a stellar job and have a very high profile on our campus.

I just don't understand. I'm sure the student had a reason, I'm just left to shake my head.