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1. The scary until you meet them professor. This is the professor who sends out emails before the semester starts telling you all the required reading and homework you have to do. While reading these faceless emails you start to think you’re going to have a tough semester. So you do all the reading and homework before the first day. Then you get to class at the beginning of the semester and the professor is nice and doesn’t call you out when you spend all of class on Pinterest and only asks you really easy questions. You will literally never touch your book or homework again.
2. The fun and strict professor. This is the one that talks like a fellow student and is always making jokes. They probably play music videos before class and make fun of Justin Bieber. They also don’t allow cell phones in class and take pictures of you if you fall asleep. It’s good because you pay attention but it’s always tough to remember that you’re still in class.
3. The professor no one likes. This professor has students in the class who have already failed the course at least once and who absolutely hate the instructor. This is the person you spend a lot of time thinking isn’t going to be so bad and then after the first class with him you understand everything that’s been said. You will literally avoid this teacher’s name when signing up for all future classes.
4. The trying to be cool professor. This professor is hard not to like if you’re a good student. You see that they care so much about the material and they’re always making puns and jokes. But they’re also too old to really relate to students and can’t get the rest of the class to pay attention.
5. The still a student professor type 1. This is the professor who is technically a grad student but teaches some undergraduate courses. They are young enough to be fun but serious enough to be a good instructor. You feel like listening to them because not listening to them would be like ignoring one of your peers.
6. The still a student professor type 2. Like type one this instructor is most likely a grad student. Unlike type one they don’t care about teaching at all. They are only teaching this class because it makes their own tuition go down. You’re either going to get a very easy A or an extremely hard C.
7. The not really a professor, professor. Most likely you’ll only have this type of professor when you’re a freshman. This is like when an advisor teaches your orientation class. You aren’t learning real material, just study tips and tricks. So the class is easy and the professor is fun and easy-going.
8. The teaching assistant professor. This is when you have a lab taught by a student who did well when they took the class you’re currently taking. You should always listen to the TA because they made a good grade and know how to survive the course and the professor.
9. The terrifying professor. Unlike the scary professor that turns out to be cool, this professor is evil and hates to give students passing grades. This is actually super rare and you may never have this professor. In case you do though, just keep your head down, take notes, and get through it one semester. Skipping the class and failing so you have to take it again will only prolong the torture.
10. The passionate professor. Odds are this type applies to every professor you will ever have. If they’re teaching as opposed to working for a company or organization somewhere, they want to help students. If they give you a difficult assignment it’s probably because you need the experience from completing the work. If you really struggle with something, go talk to them. Either you’re making it harder than it needs to be, or they didn’t realize it was that hard.