How to Deal With the Profs You Hate
by Beth Onusko

Originally published April 26, 2000 on studentadvantage.com.

Some of them are wonderful; some are not. Some illuminate your mind and inspire you to probe new academic depths. Others just make you want to scream. Regardless, professors have an amazing influence on your life. So how do you deal with them when they make it a living hell?

There are countless breeds of frustrating professors, but they generally possess a few basic personality types. These profs might seem overwhelming to deal with, but deal with them you must. Here are a few of the professor personalities that you are likely to encounter and some individual advice on handling them:

The Grad-Student Wonder: Not quite sure how to effectively communicate their wealth of knowledge to their class, these types of teachers are often well-intentioned but woefully inexperienced. They tend to be extremists, either expecting way too much from you or way too little.

How to deal: Fresh out of college themselves, these teachers are usually the easiest to approach. They know the plight of the undergrad intimately. Though they may be close to you in age, you need to retain a sense of respect and formality when speaking to them. Because they are new to teaching, grad students are still learning to handle the professor/student dichotomy. Avoid the temptation to speak to them as though they were just another buddy. Professionalism is key.

The Tenure-Secure Bore: Tenure can be an evil thing. While some professors deserve the prestige and security tenure provides, others take that security and exploit it. These demons allow themselves to wither away in their comfortable academic posts, not bothering to connect with students or create new course material. They rely on their decades-old lesson plans to stimulate your mind. Often rigid and inflexible, they tend to grade harshly. They are constantly comparing all of their students to that one brilliant, perfect student they had way back in the day.

How to deal: These professors are the least likely to care what you think of their teaching style. What to do? Approach the professor as a person. Despite the plethora of evidence to the opposite, these teachers are people, too. They have bad days, get cranky and are sensitive to criticism just like you. When speaking with them one-on-one, be perceptive. Try to gauge what type of mood they're in and respond accordingly. If they don't offer any constructive advice, seek help from another source (such as fellow students or teaching assistants). You're better off doing that than copping an attitude; you don't want to get on their bad side. Tenured profs are tenured for a reason (well, hopefully) and should know their subject area well. The trick to these professors is to find the approach that will get them to open up to you.

The Absent-Minded Professor: These professors tend to cancel class about once a week, and when it's not canceled it ends ridiculously early. And tests? These profs are pushovers, easily guilted into boosting the poor grade you got because the test questions didn't make any sense or were on material you never covered. These professors often have hearts of gold, but usually fail to impress a vast amount of knowledge onto their students. To the lazy student this may seem ideal, but their unpredictability is what makes them dangerous. Just when you think you have that class aced, they give you a deadly final that decimates your grade.

How to deal: If a serious grading issue should arise, stick to your guns and fight for your work. Persistence is greatly needed, as these types of profs seem to lack a true grasp of what's going on. Be sure to have a well thought-out argument to substantiate your claims. If the lines of communication are broken beyond repair, don't be afraid to go to the dean with your problem. Deans are there to act as intermediaries between their professors and students. Some teachers may not always appreciate this move, so proceed with caution. Go to the dean only after all else has failed.

The Intimidating Genius: All you can do in class is gape at the professor in awe. These profs know their subject extremely well and offer brilliant insights that often fly right over your head. They make mastering post-modern literary criticism or quantum physics look simple — that is, until you try to do it yourself. You and your fellow classmates feel stupid in comparison, and are too intimidated to ask questions for fear of revealing your ignorance.

How to deal: Rather than risk getting a bad grade, swallow your pride and ask for help. Don't, however, try to speak on behalf of the whole class. If you say something like "well, no one knows what they're doing. I'm the only one with guts enough to speak up," odds are you're merely shooting yourself in the foot. Admit your own ignorance and work on clarifying the major concepts of the class. Don't feel silly for admitting that you don't understand a particular theory or idea. Remember that, despite the prof's undeniable intelligence, his or her job is to teach you. If he or she isn't doing so, it's not your fault.

The I-Hate-My-Job-So-I-Hate-You Professor: Their lackluster teaching style adequately reflects their disgust for their position. These teachers are often thrust into their professorships to support their personal research — research they'd rather be dedicating their precious time to instead of teaching you. They don't respond well to questions and don't have office hours. These professors show little regard for the plight of the individual student and may have difficulty empathizing with you.

How to deal: It's worth approaching the prof with your concerns, but don't expect much of a reply. This is another case that might be best handled by the dean if the teacher proves to be unresponsive. Handle the situation delicately — you don't want to give the prof a reason to give you a bad grade because you sought mediation from the dean. You're paying an awful lot of money to be here, and getting reasonable, respectable service is expected. However, pick your battles wisely. Don't run to the dean over a little semester-long core class. Focus your concern on your major and the teachers involved with it.

Despite your best efforts, there will still be some horrid profs that you can do nothing about. If these tips aren't successful, you're pretty much up the creek. Should you choose to tough the class out for the semester, just be careful not to provoke the wrath of the prof and keep perspective. Remember: this is only one class in a much larger academic career.

The bottom line here is that you should be realistic. Don't make unreasonable requests (like changing that D to an A) or whine like a child. Be mature and attempt to perfect the art of negotiation. And don't approach your professor with major concerns right before or after class. Talk to them at more appropriate times, like during office hours or a scheduled appointment.

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