I know it’s not just me when I say I have had a handful of different kinds of professors. The good professor, the lazy professor, and the I’d honestly rather die than listen to you say one more word professor. Not to be dramatic.
From the array that I’ve encountered, I’ve compiled a list of things professors do that really get my blood boiling, and while you and I could probably keep the ball rolling forever, I’m sticking to my top five.
NUMBER 1: CLICKING THROUGH SLIDES TOO FAST
I get it. I don’t wanna be in class either, man, but hey, if a professor is talking a mile a minute in a monotone voice plus flipping through slides with important information on it, how am I supposed to get any use out of this class? In one of my classes I have to take my computer and add notes/slides onto the PowerPoint posted on Blackboard because I can’t keep up with what he’s explaining slide by slide and write it all down at the same time. Luckily, at least for that class, I am given the PowerPoint ahead of time to download. Another class of mine relies solely on how fast I can scribble words down on a screen while my professor talks before he posts the slides too fast. I will, however, never get over the comical “ughhh”s and “um—” when nobody’s ready to move on. It’s really a sound of unity among us all.
NUMBER 2: CONTINUING TO TEACH NEW MATERIAL THE LECTURE BEFORE AN EXAM
This seriously makes no sense to anyone. Like if you know we’re having a test and you know students are already struggling then why in your right mind, would you keep teaching information that isn’t going to be included on that exam, the class before an exam?? WHAT’S THE LOGIC THERE?
NUMBER 3: NOT PUTTING GRADES ON BLACKBOARD
This realllllyyyy gets me going. How? Am I?? Supposed? To know? How I’m doing? If there’s no grades? To tell me? This is ESPECIALLY annoying in a lab where I write lab reports every week and don’t know where I’m going wrong (or rather where I’m going right is a better way to put it), and therefore can’t make corrections on my next ones. GRRRR HOW am I supposed to be successful in a class like that!! Ok. *deep breath*
NUMBER 4: USING CLICKER QUESTIONS AS ACTUAL POINTS
If you’re a professor and you’re doing this, quick suggestion: don’t. It’s annoying to keep track of and annoying to partake in. Add actual points into the mix and you have the most inconvenient concept I’ve heard. If you want to try that hard to disguise attendance points, just take attendance??? The truth is I’m super competitive and if I don’t get full credit or if I miss a question, I’m going to be angry which will make me even more angry when it starts affecting my grade so please end this trend here.
NUMBER 5: NO EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES
Just a question.. who are you hurting by adding extra credit to a class? Students don’t have to do it, and because of this, not a lot of students choose to (surprising, I know). It really cannot be that much work to put an assignment up on Blackboard that automatically grades itself for students to put work into to earn extra points. If students want to make the effort to better their grades, why shouldn’t they be given the opportunity to do so?
So yes, there lies my top five things that are such professor things it’s seriously ridiculous. The thing is— I’m sure I haven’t named even half the annoying things on the list, but the truth is, that’s college and being students, it’s kind of our job to just deal with it. ( :’( )