The Rotten Apple In The Bunch: How To Deal With A Bad Professor

By Francine Fluetsch on July 2, 2014

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You know what can really be a downer on a class? A crappy professor. There is no way you can get through college without at least experiencing one professor you absolutely can not stand. Like, pulling your hair out, screaming into your pillow, dreaming about how to kill them (okay not really but you catch my drift) absolutely can’t stand them.

I’ve experienced my fair share of these professors, even after consulting Rate My Professor and talking to other students. Sometimes a teacher can just get under your skin, and they might not affect anyone else. And other times that horrible teacher is of course the only one who ever teaches a class, and of course you are required to take it.

So when this situation is pushed upon you, what do you do exactly? You don’t want to let that professor ruin your GPA, so here are a few ideas about how to deal until the quarter/semester is over.

Get cozy with the T.A.:

Having a T.A. with a horrible professor can be your savior, trust me. If you have no idea what your professor is blabbing on about, consult your T.A. during office hours. T.A.s are happy to help, and if they see that you are putting forth an effort to learn, it will earn some brownie points with them and in the end can boost your grade.

I once had this professor that literally everyone hated. The professor was a very smart person, they just had a hard time putting it into words that we could follow and droned on a lot of the class about things that had nothing to do with the reading. This professor always decided to paint these colorful pictures with their prompts and no one, and I mean no one, understood what the professor was asking–and we were lit majors for Peat’s sake!

My T.A. decided to make his own prompt for us, since the teacher wouldn’t be seeing the papers anyway. He understood that we were all confused, and thanks to him, I was able to get a good grade in the class.

If you don’t understand something, be sure to let the T.A. know; chances are, if you are feeling it, so are others.

Ban together with other students:

Having a good group of people in class can make even a bad teacher seem a bit more bearable. Make study groups so you can go over the material since the teacher obviously isn’t. It’s also great to hear other people get annoyed with the teacher, so you can tell if it’s you who just doesn’t get it, or if the teacher actually sucks.

With that bad professor I mentioned earlier, I first felt like I was the only one not understanding, like I was maybe a lower level and therefore couldn’t comprehend (I was in a class with mostly seniors). But then I started to notice all the people around me in lecture looking as lost as I was, and many started joking about escape plans.

Having allies is always a great feeling, and even if you hate the teacher, having some people to joke around with, complain about the class, and study together will help the time pass.

Humor the professor:

Sometimes professors will ask you to do things in a way that is downright stupid. And it is going to annoy you to the max. But fighting back will only make it worse. Instead, humor their dumb way of doing something, even if you know it’s wrong. Just suck it up and do their way to the extreme.

Make a game of it with yourself and just try and get the fact that it’s wrong out of your head. Your teacher will think you are doing well so it’s a win for you. When you fight back with a professor who thinks it’s their way or no way, you are not going to win. They sadly have the last say in your grade.

Visit the professor in office hours:

Sometimes dealing with a professor one on one can redeem them a bit, and it gives them a chance to know your name and see that you are trying. Try going in there with an open mind, and go prepared with a good question. I once had a professor turn me away and say my question was more fit for a T.A., which honestly was a slap in the face. Let’s just say, that professor didn’t get a good review.

Get your revenge in evaluations:

When you get a chance to evaluate the professor, don’t be downright cruel, but tell it how it is. You need to stick to your gut, because on the last day they are going to say something sweet and you’ll feel all bad about bashing them, so you’ll go easy, and then the cycle will repeat. That crappy professor will keep teaching and more students will have to endure what you just did. It would be in everyone’s benefit to write exactly what the professor did and how you think they could improve.

Switch out:

If you think you really can’t handle the teacher, there is always the option to switch out of the class. Sure it’s an annoying process, but if you think things would take a turn for the worse if you stayed, then it is definitely worth it to leave.

I hope that when you encounter this horrible professor that you can survive and then laugh at the moment later. Those bad professors do make some good stories!

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