As the time for picking classes is rapidly approaching, tons of students flock to Rate My Professor for tips and tricks on their possible educators. Although not common in high school, college students rely on Rate My Professor for an accurate description and opinion of a course and an educator. Rate My Professor is an anonymous website that leaves opportunities for students to rate professors in a particular courses based upon a number of categories that are completely subjective to the writer. With an overall rating of 5.0 stars, any professor below a 3.0 is deemed not worth your time or tuition money. However, this website is completely subjective and anonymous, so there is no real way to gauge the truth of a professor until you’re sitting in his or her class on the first day. This leaves many wondering: what is the accuracy of this source?
There are 2 types of people that typically take the time to comment on this website: the people who loved and hated this particular professor. There are many conflicting views of a professor online, some saying he or she is amazing, and others saying to steer clear. This could leave a reader with mixed signals, was the professor good or bad? Most of the time, anyone who thinks a professor is average will not take the time to write a meaningful or hateful comment on this website. Even more so, the majority of the comments on this source are negative due to the fact that it is anonymous. Take every comment into consideration, but do not let it sway your decision too much!
Additionally, a reader should pay special attention to the course that the comment is about. A professor could be a completely different educator in two different courses. A higher level course is going to be more work, reading, and higher standards of grading than an introductory course. So, do not become hazy if a professor has a high difficulty rating based upon a course that is meant for upperclassmen.
Everyone is different when it comes to the way that they prefer to be educated. For example, some students are auditory learners while others are hands on learners. These two contrasting learning styles could be the reason why someone feels so positively or negatively about a professor. Also, take into consideration how you prefer to learn because you may end up enjoying a professor that others found confusing.
Rate My Professor is not the be all, end all about professors on a college campus. Of course, it won’t hurt to take a peek at the professor’s ratings, but do not rely solely on this website. Typically, it is people on two opposite ends of the spectrum with no neutral parties. It also requires an attention to detail with the course number in a smaller font. Therefore, Rate My Professor is not a 100% accurate source, so do not let it affect your educational decisions.