Dilema

[TCB]

Dilema

This fall, I am taking Organic I but I don't know what professor to choose.

The first one: I have only heard good things about him, he teaches very well, he is slow and he wants his students to understand the material in depth. He seldom refer to the textbook when he teaches; with him if you take careful notes in class, go over them, do your homework, you?re most likely to succeed. However, his exams are long and some say that they are hard.

Second professor: Some said that she is fast, she teaches from the textbook which is good because I learn easily from the textbook than from my notes. I just can't concentrate when I am in class; I have ADD and I seldom go over my notes even though I always take them. Her exams are easier, and I want to take her because my friend gave them to me.


So if you were in my position which professor would you choose?

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[Brill]

Personally, I'd go with the first professor. I've probably only had one or two professors in all of my college years that even referenced the textbook in their lectures, so I'm used to taking good notes and studying/learning from those. It sounds like the second professor would be a better fit for you though.

 

[neonam11]

I would have to agree with Brill; if you want to be challenged and learn something while doing your undergraduate work, then you can't be coddled by easy professors. It seems the first professor actually cares about the student learning the material since he isn't teaching straight out of the book but takes time to plan his lessons.

TCB, one of the secrets for succeeding in college is to take good lecture notes. Believe me, when you are enrolled in more upper division courses as well as graduate level courses, you won't have time to go over every text you bought. Your lecture notes will become your bread and butter for learning new materials. If you feel unconfident about your notes, compare them with a fellow classmate if he/she is kind enough to share, otherwise, bring a tape recorder to the lectures.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

One important thing to take into consideration: class size.

I was lucky enough to have an organic class with 9 people in it. There's something about having a professor that knows your name, major, where you work, and your hobbies that makes you perform better. We were so close knit that at the end of the semester she invited those in the class that passed to her ranch for an "organic survival picnic."

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

Always take the better professor. Regardless of exam difficulty, if you know the material better you are more apt to do well regardless. Besides, I've learned that others views aren't necessarily the same as yours on tests. The course I took over the summer was supposed to be horrid tests, but if you paid attention, and did practice problems....wasn't so bad!