• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • College Loans
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • College Loans
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise

You are here: Home / Life / Academics / Professor Reviews: Balm and Bane of Teachers

Professor Reviews: Balm and Bane of Teachers

February 11, 2016 //  by Rocio Cosme//  Leave a Comment

Shares16Facebook16Tweet

So, is your professor five stars or zero? That’s how some professor reviews are set up online for students to use and honestly review their instructors and their overall performance in the classroom. Students may lavish praise on their favorite teachers and pour scorn on the instructors they loath for all the essays they assigned. Professor reviews can be a force for good or evil. How will you use it?

Pros for the Pros

giphy (1)
giphy.com

Professor reviews are for the students. Who wants to spend the rest of the semester with a teacher you hate? University of Florida senior Juliana Schmidt is a veteran at these reviews. “Yes, I’ve written professor reviews—typically when they offer extra credit or when [they’re] either terrible or great enough that I felt they deserved my input,” said Schmitz. Innocent freshmen: Don’t feel overwhelmed when stepping into the labyrinth of classes. Find websites like Rate My Professor and listen to the seasoned seniors to find out which teachers are worth your time and money.

Shortcomings for the Class that Came Up Short

giphy (5)
giphy.com

Professor reviews don’t tell the whole story. Every student’s experience of a class and professor varies from student to student, and that reflects on teacher reviews. The majority of the time, students aren’t obligated to write instructor reviews, so the reviews tend to fall on either the far right or far left of the spectrum. Most classes say “I loved this class and prof” or “This class was hell and my teacher was the devil.” Keep an open mind as you read the reviews and take it all with a pinch of caution.

Spreading Knowledge

board-597190_960_720
pixabay.com

Some people argue that professor reviews aren’t necessary, and we should feel glad just to attend college. We spend time on these classes, so if we have something to say to future students then we should set the record straight for them. “The [professor reviews] gave me a sense of satisfaction as far as rewarding professors who were very interactive and informative, as well as giving me some twisted feeling of revenge against the neglectful ones,” UF sophomore Brad Pace said. Hey, if we’re going to cough $1,000 for each class, we have the right to know that our teacher is actually a good teacher. Let them earn those glowing reviews.

Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

Giphy.com
Giphy.com

The most colorful reviews stem from revenge. Maybe a professor gave a bad grade or maybe the teacher really is a jerk out to get students and destroy lives. Whatever the case, students can use professor reviews to the advantage and the disadvantage of their instructors. Instructors likely feel pressured in their careers because of the added dilemma that one move done out of professional concern for their student could turn into a scathing review online about them and their overall performance—just don’t mix vengeance and justice together.

Level Up, Pokemon Style!

giphy (10)
giphy.com

What about difficulty? Or interest in the subject? Some students sign up for physics, chemistry and biology, but I’m not Einstein. The truth is, as an English major, I’m not going to put tons of effort in classes that aren’t geared towards my degree, but I still need a well rounded education to graduate. “Yes, they have helped me; I feel like I have gotten an easier professor before due to reading reviews, or been prepared for one that I didn’t have a choice or whether or not I could take someone else,” said Schmidt. Professor reviews provide a glimpse in to the classroom, check their potential professors, level of difficulty they have in class, and how much they expect you to work.

Two Worlds Collide, Crash and Burn

giphy (14)
giphy.com

Professor reviews help students choose the best class and instructors in order to get the best out of the education. They’re not meant to give a free pass to be lazy and not push yourself. Unfortunately, some students go online and read professor reviews in order to find the easiest courses that require the least amount of effort. It isn’t because they already feel packed with other challenging classes or they plan to take it easier this semester due to health reasons, just sheer indifference. Imagine how a professor leading an easy class feels knowing that a student enrolls in their course and barely makes an effort to do well. Yeah, ouch.

Chemistry, Chemistry, Chemistry

pixabay.com
pixabay.com

Not the subject, but the issue of compatibility. If you’re a student who prefers laid-back professors more open to befriending their students, look it up on a professor review. If you want to be challenged by instructors who will put you through hell and turn you into an expert at your chosen field, professor reviews are a step in the right direction.

Shares16Facebook16Tweet

Filed Under: Academics Life

About Rocio Cosme

Rocio Cosme is a sophomore majoring in English at University of Florida. She enjoys reading, writing, singing, crushing over fictional boys in her favorite books, and free hugs.

You May Also Like

10 Apps Every College Student Needs in Their Life

Ohio State General Education Classes Graduation Cap

Top 10 Gen Eds at Ohio State Guaranteed to Change Your Life

CM’s Guide to the English Major

twitter

10 Tips for Creating a Professional Twitter Account

10 Research Tips to Save You Some Time (and Sanity)

university of florida survival pugh hall

10 Ways to Survive Your First Semester at the University of Florida

finals week university of mary washington campus

How to Have A Most Excellent Finals Week at UMW

How Taking A Class Outside My Major Helped Me Find Myself

course selection

What I Learned While Stressing About Course Selection

Medical Physician Health Stethoscope Doctor

5 Steps to Getting that Med School Acceptance Letter

5 English Courses Cooler than Gator Football

dropping out

I Almost Dropped Out

study smarter writing

My Freshman Year Anti-Anxiety Experiment

10 Things to Say to an English Major That’ll Set Them Off

10 Tips for Stressed Students In Academically-Competitive Environments

student studying

10 Ways to Study Like A Boss and Ace that Next Exam

Find College Professors Who Care And Actually Get to Know Them

I Absolutely Hated My First Major, So I Had to Get Out of It

Do We Need Safe Spaces in Schools?

Man-Bun Saves the Day—And Other Group Project Related Things

girl in a Tulane hoodie sitting on the sign that says "Tulane University" outside Tulane's Gibson Hall

10 Audacious Student Leaders Who Embody the Quintessential Tulane Student

girl lying face down on bed

15 Irritating Pet Peeves Only College Students Can Understand

10 Things They Don’t Tell You About Studying a Language in College

A woman interviews to get job experience

What the Heck is an Informational Interview?

Previous Post: « 14 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas for $14
Next Post: Are College Movies Real Life? »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Primary Sidebar



Enter to Win!

Trending Posts

340

10 Steps To The Perfect Galentine’s Day

feshman year to graduation uf
303

The Leader with Nobody to Lead

92

10 Can’t Miss Inspirational Speakers at The Passion Summit

millennial generation
78

15 Ways Millennials Are Out Here Killing It

what does tbh mean
73

TBH, Shouldn’t We Always Be Honest?

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2019 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.