[lady_muimui]

I'm a junior going on to my senior year at the University of Delaware. This semester is like my last full semester here before I go to Japan for my senior year, but I'm like SUGOI (REALLY) struggling with my professors this semester. I mean I'm doing fine in the classes, but the professors are just plain mean. For those who want to read on about my mean professors, feel free to, but to make it easy for those who don't my main question is how do you deal with them? Or share your experiences of horrible professors.

Well I started this semester taking 18 credits (6 classes) and working part time. On Sunday's I tend to work until like 10:15ish at night, so I don't sleep til 12, because I have to shower and do other stuff. One Monday after noon I fell asleep in my Japanese history class. At the end of the class when I got up to left, my professor pulls me aside and asks me if I was sick. I told him my situation, and he was like "if you're going to sleep in class then don't bother coming". I've fallen asleep in one of his other classes that I took a year ago, but he didn't give me trouble about it. I wasn't bothering anyone, so I don't see the big deal. Plus, I have sleep apnea, so I always feel tired in the afternoon. I think I might file it under a disability, but I was always afraid to, because I thought it might cause trouble if I wanted to apply for anything like my study abroad in Japan, for example. I didn't want to prove my competency in doing school work because of my sleep deficiency problem.

So this past month, my car had a gas leak along with other problems and I've emailed him and a professor for another class about my situation. Because I commute, I don't have the means to go to class. I've been doing my work at home, and I turn in my work on time even early at times. My other professor is totally understanding about my situation, but he's giving me a hard time. When I emailed him asking him if I can email him my argument for a class debate (it's not really a debate, from what i heard, you just state your opinion with a few facts that support your argument). He emails me back asking me where I live and then followed by an email with the bus and train schedule and told me I can also ride my bike. If anyone has been to Delaware, the public transit system is like..crap. I'd have to walk at least a mile to the closest bus stop or miles to the train station. In his email, he didn't say I couldn't send him my argument, so that is exactly what I did, but he pretended like he didn't know what I was talking about. -0-;;

I'm also taking a Chinese film class with a professor from Shanghai. This whole semester he showed only movies filmed by directors from Beijing and directors he's met before. He's a really bias professor, and when I met with him to talk about my paper (I'm taking it as a writing requirement), he didn't listen to what I had to say at all. Whenever I tried to speak, he spoke over me. He told me that I had no experience writing and that because I'm an Asian American, I should be able to write better than that. He takes attendance for our film viewing from 7 to 9pm on Monday nights, so you know if I have trouble dealing with my history class in the afternoon, there is no way I can handle 7 to 9. However, I do watch the movies at home and turn in my summaries when they're due. He tried to say something to me about it, but I asked him why would he take attendance for the night if he doesn't show up to show us the movie.

I have another professor to complain about, but let's leave it at that. ^^;;

[masturyan]

ratemyprofessor.com is your friend. But if you have no other choice, it's just something you have to deal with. There's nothing you can really do to make the situation better. Some professors are just like that. Last semester I had a really rude professor who would talk over you and speak to you like you were inferior, but luckily I had a friend in the class who I could rant to about him being such a jerk. That always makes me feel better.

[SouthernBelle82]

Oh wow I'm sorry you're going through a rough time. My professor's have always been very nice and understanding. Even this one professor I had once who is typically very strict helped me out. Once this past semester in my American Govt class we had a paper due and my professor even post-poned it a little bit because so many people were sick. Most teachers have the rule that if you have to be at class (especially for a test) if you can't make it than to call them and let them know. At my school we also at the end of the term have the ability to make up one test if you missed one. I've never had a professor who hasn't understood and tries to help students out. *Hugs* Well thank fully you're almost finished so you don't have to have that for much longer.

[lady_muimui]

masturyan: I've been using ratemyprofessors.com since my freshmen year. haha. It's like a must when signing up for classes. Ranting to your friends does help. My boyfriend is in my film class with me and I have a couple friends in that HIST course who I always complain to. xD

SouthernBelle82: Yea I'm glad I'm almost done. The thing is I email both professors giving them an update about my car situation every week, but one of them is just the @$$ that he's known for. =T But there's only one more week! yay!

[julia_lor]

I'm a freshman in college so I haven't experienced any mean professors yet...thank God...in fact, there's only been times when the professors are nice to me. This one day, our class had an exam and I was sick and couldn't come to class to take the exam. Our professor exphasised on the first day of class that in order for him to let you take a make-up of an exam is that you have to have a doctor's note or some kind of document to prove your illness/absense. Well, I didn't go to the doctor so I haven nothing to show him, so I e-mailed him about it and he said he wants to see me in his office. I was kind of scared because I was afraid of what he was going to say. When I got to his office, he asked me if I was there on the first day of class because that's when he told everyone that we need proof of our illness to make up for exams. Even though I was there, I was like "I don't remember." So after talking for awhile, he decided that he'll only make up for the exam once and if I don't show up for the final exam, I'll get a 0. Apprently, he doesn't or hardly do this to anyone, and I was like again, thank God he let me make up for it. After I took the exam, for the next 3 classes, I didn't show up for them. I felt guilty because he was nice enough to let me makeup for it, but it seems like I'm just taking advantage of him.

Another story, my French teacher is African so I think it's because of that she's lenient on us. She's nice to me. I got an A in that class after like 6 absences. In her syllabus, it says something like after 5 absences your grade goes down a letter grade...nope didn't affect me. We had this project to do and I turned it in like almost a week late, she still gave me an A. I was like so happy because I was freaking out that I'll get down graded for turning it in late. Wow, I'll love a professor like that for all my classes!!!

[pikapika]

rip them apart in the teacher evaluations
thats what ive done

[lady_muimui]

julia lor: Some of the professors are nice. I LOVE my Japanese professors. I have two professors, Inoue-sensei and Satou-sensei, who are really sweet hearts. One time my friend was really sick after coming out of the hospital and she was taking Satou-sensei's class. I, on the other hand, was taking Inoue-sensei's class (they're best friends). Anyways, I skipped her class with my boyfriend to take my friend back to her dorm. I emailed her about the situation, and she was so understanding the next day she asked me how my friend was doing and stuff.

Also, the other class that I've been missing due to my car problems, I talked to the professor and she was fine with it. She told me it was ridiculous that my history professor would be so mean to me.

pikapika: I definitely agree! I had that planned at the beginning of the semester when my professors started being rude to me. I also talked to one of my professors to see who I can talk to about some of these professors, and she recommended that I get them through teacher evaluations.

[SouthernBelle82]

masturyan: I've been using ratemyprofessors.com since my freshmen year. haha. It's like a must when signing up for classes. Ranting to your friends does help. My boyfriend is in my film class with me and I have a couple friends in that HIST course who I always complain to. xD

SouthernBelle82: Yea I'm glad I'm almost done. The thing is I email both professors giving them an update about my car situation every week, but one of them is just the @$$ that he's known for. =T But there's only one more week! yay!

Aw I'm sorry about that one professor. *hugs* I'm glad for you though you're almost done with that.

rip them apart in the teacher evaluations
thats what ive done

I would suggest that too. I haven't had to do that to any of my professor's but that's the place to do it if you are I think. Good idea!

[lady_muimui]

So I emailed the chairperson for a department that one of these professors work under, and she emails me back after speaking to the professor saying how puzzled me was at my response to my professors act of sympathy and concern. She said that I sound angry at my professor for not accepting my notion for not going to class (because of my car) and suggested that i should have taken an absence of leave or whatever.

[xiao jia]

awww, those professors sound so harsh! the one giving you the bus schedule sounds almost cruel, like he's out to get you or something...... 0.0

well just think, you only have to deal with them for one semester. just one semester of heck. (i hope. unless you'll be taking more classes with them..... yikes...)

good luck!