Have you ever noticed how most people will go out of their way to tell someone that they’re doing a bad job, but not when they are particularly good? Where do we begin seeing this… Google reviews, Yelp, Ebay, Amazon, and (probably most prominent for college students) Rate My Professor.com.
I must admit, due to the fact that most of my classes were major restricted, I didn’t have much wiggle room to choose teachers based on smashing reviews on ratemyprofessor. I also admit I had several fears of taking a class with professors this term, who had low stats and online comments. But having gotten through the first week of classes, I can’t help but notice that all these low rated teachers simply have more aggressive work ethics and ideas than other PSU professors. This does not mean that they are bad teachers; instead, I’ve come to the conclusion that these teachers’ work ethics have scared students who are not used to working at such a fast rate. Indeed, I’m having homework flung at me at a faster rate, but guess what? I feel myself actually learning.
I take a four-hour class every Thursday evening, and I have never been more awake in my life. My laptop is riddled with pages of notes, but I am somehow retaining it all in my head somewhere. Maybe this is a good sign in terms of finally choosing the correct major for me, but in all honesty, these teachers are incredibly knowledgeable, and I respect their passion and admiration of their subjects.
Hopefully other students won’t shy away from these “low rated” classes simply because teachers have a low rating on a website. Again, people are willing to give more bad news than good news. Be cautious, be honest, and don’t be scared of taking on a challenge. You might surprise yourself.