My stepfather used to say that anytime you get a new boss, you should ask what his or her greatest pet peeve is and then never do that thing.
I’ve relayed the story to many students. I’ve even used it as a lead-in to discuss some of my own pet peeves, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I thought about using it to help students succeed in my classes and others.
Trust me on this one, a lot of professors have the same pet peeves. So, understanding mine probably can help you in many of your classes. So, in the spirit of setting you up for success, here is this academic year’s version of 12 Ways to Tick Off Your Professor.
1. Losing or failing to read the syllabus
Professors spend hours planning, updating and tweaking each course’s syllabus.
I spend an average of four hours on a syllabus, even if I’ve taught the class before. I take the document seriously because I consider it a contract between the professor and the student. I outline all of my expectations in the syllabus and assume I am setting students up for success. Most other professors do the same.
It really makes professors angry when students don’t read the syllabus and ask questions about items specifically addressed in the document. Keep it. Love it. Cherish it. Live it.
2. Taking value away from classmates
No student should be allowed to impede another student’s learning. This most commonly happens when students make loud noises (on purpose) or talk to others during class. This rudeness really gets me worked up. Students who take value away from other students are removed from my class—immediately.
3. Inappropriate use of technology
Texting during class probably is my biggest pet peeve as a professor. It’s just so rude and distracting. It makes my head spins in a complete circle all Exorcist style. We’re not so important that we can’t make it through a single class without communicating via technology.
4. Missing deadlines
Journalists work on deadlines. I teach journalists. There’s not much more to say about that from my perspective.
5. Discussing grades in class
This is the student equivalent of discussing how much money you make with your coworkers. It’s just poor manners and a bad idea. It shouldn’t happen.
6. Coming to class without supplies
It makes no sense when students come to class without pens or paper. You will need to write something in every class session. Perhaps nothing grates on my nerves worse than students who come to class unprepared and beg supplies from classmates. This shows arrogance and a lack of concern about the course and your peers.
7. Asking to print
I can’t stand it when students come to class to ask permission to print. The assignment is “done,” they just need to print it. If it’s not printed, it’s not done. You missed your deadline (See No. 4). Just a bit of advice, if you wait until right before class to print, printers across campus will spontaneously combust. I guarantee it. Professors want you to print in advance.
8. Giving excuses
Professors aren’t interested in hearing all of the reasons you can’t do something. Just do it. When I hear excuses, I automatically think “everybody’s got problems.” I can’t help it. My pity meter is broken.
9. Being late
My father says, “if you’re five minutes late, you might as well be five hours late because it means the same thing.” It means you didn’t care. You think whatever you were doing is more important than what is scheduled. Being late is a sign of arrogance. Be reliable. Show up on time. Being on time also sends an important message. It says “you can rely on me.” It shouts competence, which professors love.
10. Asking ‘Did we do anything?’
It’s rare that a student makes it through an entire semester without missing a class. Many of these absences are legitimate with causes like illness or car trouble. Whether the absence is excused or not, the approach to gathering information about the missed class session is one of professors’ greatest pet peeves.
You should never ask your professor something like, “I was absent for the last class session. Did we do anything?” Most professors have the same mental response to this question. It’s something like, “No. You weren’t here, and we just couldn’t go on learning without you.”
So, how do you find out what you missed in the class? Ask the professor the right way. Say something like “I was absent for the last class session. I got the notes from Amy. What else do I need to do to catch up?”
Being proactive about asking for notes or assignments from other students and asking this question correctly alters the professor’s response from snarky to helpful.
11. Not problem solving
Students have more access to information than ever before. If you don’t understand a concept or the way something works, look in your notes and textbook first. If you still don’t understand, try consulting what my coworker calls “the Google machine.”
Don’t get me wrong, professors want to help you, but they also want you to take an active part in your learning.
You can have a more informed discussion with your professor once you’ve clarified what you don’t know and separated what you understand from what specifically still confuses you.
In other words, don’t run straight into your professor’s office every time you discover and issue. Try to solve your own problem before you ask for help.
12. Sighing and whining
Sometimes it seems students think that if they sigh and whine when a professor starts to give an assignment that the professor will forgo the work. It’s almost like they think the professor will say, “Oh, I was going to give this assignment. I planned it all semester. But, since you sighed, I’ll just skip it.” It doesn’t happen that way. You probably just tick the professor off.
In relation to this topic, sitting in the professor’s office and whining also does not help you accomplish your goals. The time you’ve spent griping could have been used toward solving your problem instead of wasting you and your professor’s time.
I know it’s a lot, but it really all amounts to professionalism. Students reflect in the classroom how they will behave in the workplace. The prompt, prepared and professional students are the ones professors want to recommend for great jobs.
JannaVenardPyle says
Monopolizing the available “student-speaking” time in a class. If you have a question, don’t talk for 10 minutes to lead up to your question, just ask the question. If a professor needs clarification on what your question is, they will ask you a question in return. If a professor asks a question and wants an oral answer from someone in class, that is NOT your opportunity to take over the lecture! Be as succinct as possible. Someone else in the room might also have something to add to the discussion and if you take up all the “student-speaking” time as if only your opinions/questions are important, you will miss out on the interaction from others. Besides that, NO ONE likes a “know-it-all” who always answers every question or someone who asks 95 questions that could be answered on their own time with just a little bit of effort.
Brianne_aoki says
JKell42 I hope I never did any of these!
Tara Marie Mortensen says
Ugh. #7 for sure.
Wendy Allen Brunner says
Am I the coworker who calls it “the Google machine”? *happy dance* I’m Internet famous now! 😉
WendyAllenBrunner says
Please don’t ask me if you “need to buy the book.” If I have indicated in the bookstore and on my syllabus that it is required, then it is required. If I indicate that it is optional, then it is optional. Either way, whether to purchase the text or not is ultimately your decision. Asking me if you *need to buy it sounds to me as though you’re asking how much effort you really need to put into the assignments and readings I have carefully planned. I know that textbooks are expensive. I went to college for 11 years in order to become your professor. A less offensive question might be, “Will our reading assignments come from the textbook or from other sources?” If cost is your primary concern, ask your prof if he/she will place a copy of the text on reserve at the library. Most of us will.
JKell42 says
Brianne_aoki I’m sure you didn’t. But the most common is the “did I miss anything?”
Prof KRG says
Wendy Allen Brunner you know you are! Who else would call it that? U0001f602
Chad Nye says
I used to get upset when they asked, “Do I need to buy the book?” After talking to many students about this question, I have changed my tune. There are more than a few of our professor colleagues who make students buy a list of books as long as your arm only to have students read only one chapter in each book or maybe not even read one or two of the books at all! Students really resent spending big money on books they use little or none at all and then they’re only able to get a fraction of their money back. I don’t like to hear the question, but I now understand where the question comes form. If there’s a colleague in your department who does this and thinks its funny, blame her/him … not your students.
Prof KRG says
I also understand where students are coming from in that one. Textbooks are crazy expensive. I don’t require books in many of my classes. In some classes, I only require the AP Stylebook. I certainly wouldn’t make the students buy a book for a single chapter. I’m mean, but I’m not that mean. 😉
profkrg says
WendyAllenBrunner I actually heard that we aren’t suppose to put our textbooks in the library, but I do anyway. I also usually have a couple of older editions in my office that are better than nothing.
My friend Chad made some good points here about student concerns about buying books. We don’t have them buy books just because we can, so it’s hard to understand that some professors seem to do that and students pay a lot for books they don’t need.
I agree that the way students ask the question makes a huge difference. My friend Ellen wrote a book called “Say This, Not That to Your Professor” about these exact types of issues. It’s all in the manner in which the question is worded.
Thanks for providing me “Google machine” banter. 🙂
profkrg says
JannaVenardPyle That sounds really annoying. I agree that some people talk just to hear the sound of their voice. That’s not good. Plus, classes are short and there’s a ton to cover. I would never want to discourage a student from asking questions, but I do hope they’re respectful of their classmates (and me) in the way they ask.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
profkrg says
mel_coulson JSchool_CU MeghanMBiro Thank you! FYI, I don’t like cats. Dog videos, perhaps?
JimKarrh says
unwrappinromanc profkrg An extension of no. 10 is “Is any of this going to be on the test?”
unwrappinromanc says
JimKarrh profkrg LOL! Can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a meeting & had that question cross my mind! 🙂
profkrg says
JimKarrh unwrappinromanc Nah. You don’t need to learn this. I’m just chatting. #no
mhmiller says
profkrg 9 doesn’t apply to the millennial and generation netters