Choosing Professors Right for You
A college or university professor can make or break a semester, and overall, your experience in college. Choosing the right professor is critical for surviving and thriving in college.
One problem some students may face in deciding their professor is that there are so many courses and professors to choose from, and there is no way to differentiate between who is right or not for a student.
Thankfully, there are several options a student can take whether a student is new to this dilemma or still trying to figure out the optimal solution to choosing a professor that meets their preference as much as possible.
One of the first methods for choosing your professor is very common by using the power of the internet at your disposal. RateMyProfessor.com is a free online website that students can use as a reference to determining what people say about the course and the professor. The site breaks down a professor through all the student ratings and reviews that are made.
While RateMyProfessor.com can be a quick, reliable source to determine what is the right professor to take, another standard method is to ask around. Many students ask their fellow peers or faculty advisors for advice on who to consider. Hearing it from a close friend who already took a professor you may be interested in may give an excellent second thought to decide on choosing that professor.
A final alternative in choosing the right professor is merely asking the professor you might be wary of taking, “What is your class like?” Although it may be too forward for some, if you are anxious about taking that professor, ask them personally in a polite manner on what the course will be like, the expectations, and how the semester will be set up.
Choosing the right professor may not be something students want to do. Even after doing these methods, you may still have a bad experience in the course. These alternatives, compared to just diving cluelessly in a class, may broaden your perspectives of taking the right professor.