»Phillip Swanson
–Staff Writer
“Get ready for a lot of homework; it’s 50 percent of your grade.”
I heard that statement on the first day of one of my classes last semester.
The course was one of my worst subjects, and I hated doing homework, as it was usually the last thing on my mind.
The first thing I thought was “Man, I’m going to fail. I just know it. This teacher is going to drive me crazy.” The next few weeks were hard on me, and I honestly didn’t think I was going to get out with even a decent grade.
If you have been a student for any amount of time, I am sure you have been in a similar situation.
Like me, you have probably felt that the professor only wants to make life hard for you, or felt like a number amidst hundreds of others.
You have probably asked yourself, “Why does this have to always happen to me?”
About midway through the semester, one of my friends was talking about how his classes were going and he mentioned a site where you could actually see other students’ reviews of teachers.
He told me that he picked all of his classes according to the reviews, and as a result, he was having one of the best semesters yet.
I immediately asked him what site it was, and, the next chance I got, I checked it out for myself.
Ratemyprofessors.com is exactly what the name implies: an open site that allows you to not only see specific professor’s rating from their former students, but also allows you to post about your experiences with a teacher as well.
The website claims that it “is the largest online destination for professor ratings. The site has over 8,000 schools and more than 15 million entirely student-generated comments and ratings.” From what I have seen, the best way to use the site is to access it when you are signing up for classes.
Once you have found the teacher you are thinking of learning from, you can analyze their statistics from the ratings of former students.
Students rate their professors on four main points: easiness, helpfulness, clarity, and rater interest.
They can even be rated on their attractiveness, or “hotness”.
Accompanying the grade is a written review pointing out key characteristics of the professor, no matter if they are positive or negative.
Some reviews even go so far as to inform the reader of the teacher’s habits, such as how the teacher formats tests and how often they assign work.
Amaha Teferra, a sophomore here at APSU, has been using the site every semester since he graduated from high school.
He said that he likes using it because, “It’s been fairly accurate, so far, and it has helped me pick out exactly which teacher I want to take.”
He went on to say, “A few of my friends told me about it after I graduated and since I’ve been using it, my grades have been great. I get to pick a teacher that suits me. What could be better?”
Like Teferra, I used the site before I signed up for this semester’s classes and now that spring break is nearing, I can safely say that everything is going significantly smoother than last year.
I was able to get an academic visual of what my teachers were going to be like, and it helped me prepare for those classes I was about to take.
I know what to expect from my teachers and that definitely gives me a greater chance of passing my classes with As.
So, if you are stuck in a situation like I was in last semester, just hold tight. Focus on just getting through the class and know that things will change soon.
Besides, when you are done with it finally, won’t it feel good to give your professor a grade for once?
