College professors are a mixed bag of awesome and awful, caring and terrifying.
Ideally you will get to experience instructors with a variety of teaching styles and approaches to the teacher-student relationship. There is a benefit to working with each - yep, even with the mean ones.
Ideally you will get to experience instructors with a variety of teaching styles and approaches to the teacher-student relationship. There is a benefit to working with each - yep, even with the mean ones.
The "Sets The Bar High" Instructor
It's actually a sign of respect when a professor gives you challenging reading material and assignments. An instructor who knows exactly where to set the bar encourages students to try hard, without setting them up fall short. In doing so, they help you find confidence in your intelligence and abilities through your continued ability to meet and exceed their expectations.
Bottom Line: Don't avoid a class because the prof has a reputation for being demanding or challenging students.
Bottom Line: Don't avoid a class because the prof has a reputation for being demanding or challenging students.
The Meanie
In a perfect world, everyone would be nice and take into account the feelings of others, especially those working under them. But this isn't a perfect world. A mean instructor is good practice for dealing with difficult people in general, like future employers or overbearing clients. We can't always choose our working conditions or with whom we work, but we can control how we respond to them.
Bottom Line: Learn how to be around negative people and environments and still get the job done.
Bottom Line: Learn how to be around negative people and environments and still get the job done.
The Surrogate Parent
We had a professor we referred to as "College Dad." He saw his role as professor to extending far beyond the classroom. He offered to mentor me when I was applying for a time-consuming grant, extra work he voluntarily took on with zero compensation. He had us over to his house for dinner. He asked about our lives. He was invited to some of our weddings.
I once asked him for advice about a difficult decision I had to make between accepting an offer from Harvard to do my MA or take a Fulbright Award to the Republic of Georgia.
Every other professor I'd asked said, "You have to take the Fulbright!"
College Dad was the only one who said, "As a scholar, I'd say take the Fulbright. As a father with a daughter, I think it would be better and safer for you to stay in the States and go to Harvard."
I chose Harvard and six months later Russia invaded Georgia, so the Fulbright wouldn't have worked out anyway.
Bottom Line: It's nice to know that you are more than a nameless student to some of your instructors and they really care about what's going on in your life.
I once asked him for advice about a difficult decision I had to make between accepting an offer from Harvard to do my MA or take a Fulbright Award to the Republic of Georgia.
Every other professor I'd asked said, "You have to take the Fulbright!"
College Dad was the only one who said, "As a scholar, I'd say take the Fulbright. As a father with a daughter, I think it would be better and safer for you to stay in the States and go to Harvard."
I chose Harvard and six months later Russia invaded Georgia, so the Fulbright wouldn't have worked out anyway.
Bottom Line: It's nice to know that you are more than a nameless student to some of your instructors and they really care about what's going on in your life.
The Friend
The friend instructor is sort of like the surrogate parent, with an important caveat - they aren't trying to parent you. They are excellent at creating and fostering camraderie among the class, so that students actually want to hang out together after class or come to optional study sessions.
Bottom Line: Friend Professors often become real friends after you graduate.
Bottom Line: Friend Professors often become real friends after you graduate.
The "Goes Easy On STudents" Professor
I know, I know, I started off by saying you want someone to set the bar high. But equally important is to have an instructor who isn't out for blood. These professors take the pressure off of doing everything perfectly, so that you are more inclined to take chances in class and with your assignments.
Bottom Line: You might end up wasting more time than necessary on homework this professor will never check, but at least your final exam will be absurdly easy. If you have one at all.
Bottom Line: You might end up wasting more time than necessary on homework this professor will never check, but at least your final exam will be absurdly easy. If you have one at all.
