Imagine — it’s the first day of class. You walk into the room, sit down and wait tensely for the professor to show up. They show up ten minutes late, offer no explanation or apology and then proudly declare that most students don’t pass their class because it’s such a rigorous course. They then proceed to announce that they “don’t do accommodations” in their class and immediately single out a student in the class and make fun of them.
Not a single green flag in sight.
It’s not uncommon for professors to be disliked, and sometimes the red flags show up right away. But what if the red flags showed up past the add-drop period, or there are no alternatives — or even worse, no other options for a required class?
Sometimes you might just not like how a professor teaches, even though you still like them as a person — and that’s perfectly okay. Everyone learns differently, and opinions of a professor can vary from person to person. It’s highly dependent on many factors, including how you learn best, your personality and how you interact with others.
When you’re making your class registration plans, it’s well worth your while to check a variety of sources to find professor reviews. Checking only one source can give biased information. TRACE, Rate My Professors and talking to previous students are good ways to gauge what a professor is like. Reading the course descriptions to make sure you’re at least somewhat prepared for what’s to come is also key, and keep an eye out for the syllabus to be posted after you register.
However, there are some behaviors that are bright red flags, no matter how accomplished or eccentric you may be.
While not the norm among professors, blatant racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, bigotry or discrimination is unacceptable under any circumstances, no matter who you are, where you are or what you’re doing. Creating an unwelcoming environment undermines students’ ability to learn — you can’t learn effectively if you feel unsafe.
Furthermore, refusal to take any sort of feedback or criticism from students is a massive red flag. Feedback doesn’t inherently mean disrespect, and if a student is trying to constructively and politely communicate with the professor and they proceed to not listen, that shows low emotional intelligence and definitely isn’t a good look for a professor. Professors should be open-minded and create an environment where all are encouraged to contribute appropriately.
Singling out students regularly, whether to make fun of them or to play favorites, isn’t fair. Imagine if the person sitting next to you raised their hand to ask a question and got made fun of. Would that make you feel comfortable asking questions in class? Even more, what if you had the exact same question? Asking questions in class is daunting enough — no one needs jabs thrown at them from the professor and made to feel like their question was silly or stupid.
On the flip side of singling out students, playing favorites isn’t fair to anyone else in the class either. It makes the classroom space feel imbalanced, and may discourage students who aren’t dubbed “favorites” from participating in class to the full extent.
A professor isn’t under any obligation to like their students — and just like you have classmates you dislike, professors have students they dislike — but it’s their job to teach everyone with equity and respect. Disliking a student isn’t grounds for harassment.
But what about green flags?
Fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone and refusing to tolerate any form of bigotry and discrimination is one of the most important things a professor can do. This maximizes students’ ability to learn, and in turn, boosts the enjoyment of the class for everyone. The classes I performed best in were classes I felt welcomed in, and classes where I felt my voice and perspective were both wanted and considered.
Showing students kindness and respect makes it more likely for students to respect the professor, thus strengthening connections between students and the professor, and increases willingness to learn. Offering links to resources, like tutoring or mental health counseling, and encouraging healthy habits help to show a professor cares about their students and their success.
I once had a professor tell me “You don’t take a class, you take a professor.” Even though I haven’t even been at Northeastern for two full semesters, I’ve found this to be true. Every teacher has their own way of teaching, just like every student has their own way of learning. Two students who take the same core class, but with different professors, can report drastically different experiences they had with the material. A bad professor can turn you away from a subject you used to enjoy.
Imagine — yes, again — choosing a class because you’re super excited about the content. It’s something you’ve wanted to study for a long time, it looks fun or it’s something you already have experience with and want to learn more about. The only thing is, the professor is just awful. You start to associate negative traits of the professor with the subject itself. And before you know it, you’re struggling to find any joy or interest in the subject.
First-year students generally don’t get to choose their own classes in the first semester. Your advisor meets with you, maybe you get to pick a class or two, and then usually they’ve already done the rest. Thus, a lot of enjoyment, or unenjoyment, in students’ first semesters especially depends on the professors and how they engaged with the material.
In my first semester, I had some rough experiences with professors, and realized that I wanted to cut the design part of my combined major out. With my second semester, things are much better. Sure, I’m not the biggest fan of all my professors, but I’m having an overall much better experience than I did last semester. The “secret hack?” Spending time researching the courses and professors. I figured out the optimal balance of content, average difficulty and professors that would at least be bearable.
Sometimes it’s unavoidable that you get stuck in a class with a bad professor and have to stick it out. While it definitely sucks, there are resources to help make the best out of a bad situation. Reach out to classmates, find a tutor or even find a counselor. Chances are, everyone will have to deal with at least one bad professor during their college career — and you’re definitely not alone.
Antaine Anhalt is a first-year communication studies major and columnist for The News. He can be reached at [email protected].
