This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at KU chapter.
The middle of the semester can sometimes be the toughest, you’re tired from the first half and can’t quite see the light at the end of the tunnel. Don’t let desperation sink in as the end of the semester slowly approaches. Maintain your dignity and avoid asking your professors these questions.
Could you, like, let us out of class early today?
While it’s always a nice surprise when a professor lets you out early, it shouldn’t happen all of the time. Professors have a lot of information to cover and little time to do it. Asking if they can let you out early implies that you are not interested in what the professor has to teach you and you have something better to do.
Sooo… instead of taking this test, could I just summarize this class in a tweet?
There’s a reason your professor wants to test you over the information. You should use the test as an opportunity to show your teacher what you know!
Did I miss anything important in class?
This question implies that not everything taught in class is important. Even though you may not find the quadratic formula important, your professor does. Try rephrasing the question. For example: What should I focus on when I look back over my reading?
Will I need the book to study for this exam?
At this point in the semester, your professor probably doesn’t want to hear that you never ordered the book for the class. Not only will it make you look lazy, but the professor will wonder how you got this far in the class.
Do we need to know this for the exam?
This gives the professor the impression that you are only learning the material for the test. Every teacher’s goal is for you to actually learn the information, not just memorize it for the test and then forget it.