Professors may be experts, but we’re certainly not perfect.
Being vague about criteria for course success, refusing to give As, wearing funky or distractingly nerdy clothing, and spitting on students while talking are just a few of the things professors do that irritate students.
After writing 13 Things You Do that Tick Your Professor Off, I thought I should give students a chance to voice their annoyances in this updated post. Here are 11 things professors do that irritate students.
1. Email fails
Students have a lot of valid complaints about the way professors use email, ranging from having poor email etiquette (like using poor subject lines and writing in incomplete sentences) to taking up to a week to respond to messages.
2. Vague expectations
Students want to succeed. They are frustrated by professors who are vague about guidelines or deadlines and those who grade opposite of what is stated on the syllabus.
3. Being unprepared
We can’t fake this! Students can tell when we’re unprepared for class, even if we think they can’t.
4. Being late
Multiple students mentioned professors either being tardy for class or ending class late. They also hate it when professors cancel classes after the class session already should have started.
In another form of lateness, a student said she hates it when professors say they will email details of an assignment, but the email never comes or arrives much later than promised.
5. Arbitrary grading
Contrary to popular belief, students don’t want to be handed grades. Students are annoyed by professors who give people As who don’t deserve them. They also are irritated by professors who openly state that they don’t give As. More than anything, students want assignments back promptly and they want to understand what they’ve done wrong.
6. Changing rules
Students are annoyed by professors who add major assignments to the syllabus in the middle of the semester or those who change the due dates on assignments right before they’re due.
A student told me she hates it when professors insist that something is in the syllabus when it’s not. She experienced a professor getting angry about students not reading the syllabus, only to discover upon searching that he/she couldn’t find the information in the syllabus either.
7. Computer woes
Students are annoyed by professors’ poor attempts to use technology. A student told me she has professors who “lean on” students to help them solve tech problems, like getting presentations to work, instead of calling a tech person to help them. She also said she’s had classes that started up to 15 minutes late because the professor couldn’t get the technology to work.
8. Not actually teaching
Students want to learn in classes. A student told me he gets really annoyed when he doesn’t learn more than one or two things in a full class session. He said he doesn’t feel like he’s getting value from his tuition dollars when this happens. Another student told me he is irritated when professors recycle lessons, lectures, materials, and resources from other classes he’s taken with them, so he gets a bunch of the same information twice.
9. Pointless books
Books are SO expensive. I had no idea until earlier this semester how much students pay for books. So, I wasn’t surprised when a student told me she hates it when she buys a book only to have the professor hand out copies of the things the class needs to read.
Another student said she is annoyed when professors assign readings they have no intention of discussing or referencing in classes.
10. Trying to be funny
We try. I know we do, but some of us just aren’t funny. A student said she hates it when a professor makes a joke, no one laughs, so he tries again in about 10 minutes, and no one laughs again. Honestly, this one kinda made me sad for the professor.
11. Mocking them
I can’t lie, this one ticked me off. A student told me she has a professor in a general education class who mocks them for their chosen majors and how little money they will each make when they graduate. He then went on to talk about how much money he and his wife make. Not ok, sir. Not ok.
Professors, least we think we are perfect, here is a list of some pretty obvious faults. I recognize myself in a couple of these. You may too. If so, let’s agree to do just a little bit better this semester.
profkrg says
Nicole_Kraft We’ve all probably been guilty a time or two.