It’s almost a certainty that at some point in your college career, you’re going to have a “difficult” professor, but what is meant by “difficult?” I don’t mean someone who will actually require you to attend class and turn in your work to earn a positive grade, or someone who teaches a difficult or hard to grasp subject. A “difficult” professor is one you just can’t figure out and, in fact, sometimes you think they might just hate you. When you run into these professors, and you will, here are a few tips on how to survive the encounter: First, figure out what it is that makes the professor “difficult,” because this will affect what you do to handle the issue. For example:
- Is the difficulty in the way the professor grades?
- Does he seem to have unreasonable expectations for assignments?
- Does she ask for one thing and then grade in a completely opposite fashion?
- Is the professor difficult to approach?
- Perhaps he seems angry or gruff all the time, or intimidating?
- Does she constantly fail to appear at office hours or never answer emails/questions?
- Does he dislike being questioned?
- Is the professor not teaching the material in a way you understand it?
- When you ask him to clarify or repeat, does he do the same thing over and over again?
- Is she rude or emotionally/physically abusive?
- Are you afraid of speaking in class for fear of being humiliated?
When you have figured out what makes the professor difficult for you, you can form a plan of attack, as it were. For most of the reasons why professors are labeled “difficult,” you can set things right by approaching them personally and in the right tone. Arrange to meet during office hours (if at all possible) and then use “I statements”:
- “I’m feeling a bit lost in class – what can I do?”
- “How can I do better in your class?”
- “What do you recommend I do to do better on assignments?”
Don’t be aggressive, blaming the professor for “not teaching” you the material or for being difficult. Discuss your problems respectfully and honestly, but you may have to suppress your own ego a bit in order to develop a good, working relationship with the professor. There is, after all, a power hierarchy in place that must be observed. This is not to say that you should allow a professor to walk all over you, but if playing to his ego makes the class more bearable, then by all means, eat some humble pie and bite your tongue for a semester. If the problem is that the professor isn’t teaching the material in a way that you can understand, try to find other avenues of obtaining the information. Form study groups with your classmates and compare notes on what the professor has said he is looking for on exams or assignments. If there’s a teaching assistant, ask him/her for tips in how to deal with the information. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. If the behavior is truly antagonistic, bullying or discriminatory, make a thorough case before you approach anyone. The whole idea of “don’t rock the boat, especially when you’re sitting in it” definitely applies. In today’s society, the burden of proof falls on the victim, so be sure you have specific examples and citations of the offensive behavior. If you try to take this to a superior without proper documentation or witnesses (basically your word vs the professor), things could get worse. This doesn’t mean you should just lay back and take the treatment. See if any other students will stand up with you – one student might be able to be ignored, but a large percentage of the class has a better chance of being heard. As a last resort, if you simply cannot work with the professor, consider dropping or withdrawing from the course. Talk to your advisor or a counselor about the issues you’re having and find out what other options are available to you, such as taking the course in another semester, under another professor, or perhaps at a neighboring campus. One thing to remember is that having a difficult professor is not the end of the world. It’s one class, for one semester. And just think of the badge of honor it will be to you after you survive it.