Navigating the new world of college can be a daunting task, and trying to figure out what types of professors to avoid is a very important part of that task. Sites like Rate My Professors can be really helpful in going about deciding which professors to take and which to avoid. When looking through tags and descriptions, here’s a handy list of the types of college professors you’ll want to avoid at all costs.
Suffice to say, a teacher who’s really tough on their grading is going to be impossible to please. Unless you’re some kind of super-student, coming out of a strict-grader’s class with a high (or even just decent) grade is going to be a lot more effort than most college students have time to put in.
Let’s be honest, none of us plan on studying the material until a mid-term or exam. That being said, you won’t know ANY of the material at all until those times, so a pop quiz will definitely ruin your grade. It’s never fun having “surprise” quizzes; it’s irritating to say the least.
Perhaps subtly one of the worst types of college professors is the lazy updater. Most colleges have started utilizing an online platform such as Blackboard or Canvas for students to turn in assignments, check due dates, and receive grades and other progress reports. There are those few teachers who refuse to put anything on these websites. They don’t update grades, they don’t post assignments, and they don’t give feedback. On top of this, they never hand back any work you turn in in person, and you’re left in the dark about your progress all semester long. You can’t be expected to go to a professor’s office hours every single time there is an assignment due, you’re too busy for that! After all, isn’t this part of what they’re getting paid for?
One of the most dreaded phrases you find on the syllabus is “participation grade.” This one always astounds me. Most college classes range from 30 to over 100 students, so it’s almost completely impossible for every student to be able to participate over the course of the semester. Not to mention the anxiety that a lot of people feel at having to speak out in class. I’ve witnessed students’ grades go from an A to a C simply because they didn’t talk in class enough, regardless of how impeccable their written work and various projects and tests might’ve been.
Speaking of anxiety… another of the most dreaded phrases is “oral report” (bonus points for “reports” in the plural). Unless you’re in a communications class, oral reports are useless. Everything that gets said orally can easily, and more comfortably, be written in a paper and turned in quietly with no attention drawn to oneself. It seems like a lot of teachers just really enjoy torturing their students with oral reports nowadays. Steer clear of these professors at all costs.
Rare but frustrating, this type of professor is all over the place. The notes up on the board are incomprehensible, half the information on the quizzes has never been seen by mortal eyes, and what even is the syllabus? The professor who doesn’t organize his or her class in any kind of logical way yet expects perfect organization and clarity from students is a terrible hypocrite to always be avoided.
In the same vein as oral report assigners, group work loving professors also love to torture students. Of all people, professors should know how demanding college work is on its own without adding two, three, four or more extra people into the mix. With people working jobs, taking an obscene amount of class hours, and having other obligations to fulfill, it’s nearly impossible to get all group members to contribute equally to a project or meet up to work at all. You will, somehow, inevitably be the one to do the majority of the work while everyone receives equal credit. Outrageous!
Just keep an eye out for types of college professors. And keep an ear out for advice from upperclassmen on which professors will help you make the most of your college career.
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