How do you handle bad professors?

[Doctor246853]

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Well well well, its that time again. The semester is ending and I'm having a problem with my english professor. He is your typical super left wing hippie. We can write a 6 page paper, hand it to him and he skims through it in less than 15 sec.😕 How can you properly evaluate a paper's content in 15 secs? Then he scribbles a grade on there and moves on. (usually 50's) I guess they're easier to write. Any who, I came to the conclusion that I need to have a one on one with this dude. How exactly would you approach him? Super friendly? Super serious? With a lynch mob? My brother told me to go to the english dean but I think that's a little too far. I don't mean to B!@#h but I know a fair grade when I see one and he doesn't grade fair. Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[Isoprop]

Well well well, its that time again. The semester is ending and I'm having a problem with my english professor. He is your typical super left wing hippie. We can write a 6 page paper, hand it to him and he skims through it in less than 15 sec.😕 How can you properly evaluate a paper's content in 15 secs? Then he scribbles a grade on there and moves on. (usually 50's) I guess they're easier to write. Any who, I came to the conclusion that I need to have a one on one with this dude. How exactly would you approach him? Super friendly? Super serious? With a lynch mob? My brother told me to go to the english dean but I think that's a little too far. I don't mean to B!@#h but I know a fair grade when I see one and he doesn't grade fair. Any advice will be appreciated.

Don't put the prof. on the defensive. Ask for advice on how to improve instead of asking why xyz got 10 points instead of 20. They are more willing to give you more points that way.

 

[Doctor246853]

Don't put the prof. on the defensive. Ask for advice on how to improve instead of asking why xyz got 10 points instead of 20. They are more willing to give you more points that way.

I can't really ask for "advice" since my gpa is on the line. We only have one more class meeting (tomorrow) to turn in our final paper then that's it.🙁 I have to be sure that I'm getting a decent grade before it's on my transcript. I would know how to handle it if it was math or science because they are straight forward. But with english the professor can say the best paper is crap. He most certainly has his favs in the class (two english majors)....to bad I didn't make the cut🙁

 

[Isoprop]

Still convinced it's the best method. Being confrontational or trying to beg for a grade is too much of a gamble in my opinion but have worked with other people. If you talk to him like you're trying to learn and do better for future classes, he will more likely be sympathetic to your cause.

I'm convinced that even if he doesn't improve your grade after that, he wouldn't do it anyway no matter how you approach him.

 

[Doctor246853]

Still convinced it's the best method. Being confrontational or trying to beg for a grade is too much of a gamble in my opinion but have worked with other people. If you talk to him like you're trying to learn and do better for future classes, he will more likely be sympathetic to your cause.

I'm convinced that even if he doesn't improve your grade after that, he wouldn't do it anyway no matter how you approach him.

Yeah. I will try that. If that don't work.........physical threat...jk............or am I?

 

[Celliott]

Yeah. I will try that. If that don't work.........physical threat...jk............or am I?

I see where the issue in an English class may come from.... jk, had to do it

 

[FRONTLINE]

I can't really ask for "advice" since my gpa is on the line. We only have one more class meeting (tomorrow) to turn in our final paper then that's it.🙁 I have to be sure that I'm getting a decent grade before it's on my transcript. I would know how to handle it if it was math or science because they are straight forward. But with english the professor can say the best paper is crap. He most certainly has his favs in the class (two english majors)....to bad I didn't make the cut🙁

I sympathize with you about your English professors. They tend to give ridiculously low, subjective scores that can really damage overall GPAs.

However, I feel like giving you a very polite e-slap for waiting until the end of the semester to talk to him! I think your situation could have been much better had you posted this 8 weeks ago.

Regardless, I think the non-confrontational thing is good advice, but if he doesn't respond to it well... or if he doesn't see the preposterous nature of his grading (if it truly is), then I would take a more direct route and flat out tell him that his unfair grading is directly affecting your ability to enter medical school. Be prepared to bring up specific points, however. You need to be able to point to actual parts of your essays or assignments that were unfairly graded, and have a sound argument for why it was unfair. Don't insult him, but find a way for him to realize that he has been a tird-bag.

If that doesn't work, proceed with the physical threat, naturally.

(I kid)

 

[cheesier]

So the problem is that he's not spending enough time on your paper? English classes are subjective and it doesn't sound like he's doing anything wrong. All you can really do is ask him how you can improve your writing and construct a better essay next time.

 

[O2Doc]

I can't really ask for "advice" since my gpa is on the line. We only have one more class meeting (tomorrow) to turn in our final paper then that's it.🙁 I have to be sure that I'm getting a decent grade before it's on my transcript. I would know how to handle it if it was math or science because they are straight forward. But with english the professor can say the best paper is crap. He most certainly has his favs in the class (two english majors)....to bad I didn't make the cut🙁

Yeah, that's...a bit late to be looking for advice.
I'm doing an MPH now for some reason, and one of my profs is very very set in the exact ways she likes her papers written. You do it her way or you get a low mark. So the thing to do is meet with her as early as possible and ask for advice, meet after the first paper and ask how to improve, etc. It doesn't matter that I did just fine in every other paper-requiring class and that her specifications are stupid, you do it for one class to get the grade.

Waiting until the last day probably won't get you anywhere.

 

[ShaolinMaster]

So the problem is that he's not spending enough time on your paper? English classes are subjective and it doesn't sound like he's doing anything wrong. All you can really do is ask him how you can improve your writing and construct a better essay next time.

Exact reason I try to avoid them, too subjective you're constructing a paper to match someone opinion. Nothing you can do really except appease the beast. Ask for pointers on how to create a better essay(realistically though, it won't matter just tough it through at this point).

 

[wholeheartedly]

It's definitely late in the game to be addressing this. These things should always be addressed as soon as it's evident there's an issue. Most of the writing assignments I've had recently included a pretty well laid out point distribution scheme. x points for good introduction of topic, y points for content and layout, z points for use of sound examples, and so on. Do you have anything like that to guide you? That seems to take some of the subjectivity out of the grading.

Second, taking the approach of asking for suggestions on how you can improve is usually the best way to frame the issue. That way you aren't making accusations and putting someone on the defensive right off the bat.

That doesn't always work though. I had a philosophy prof who couldn't say what I could do to improve and I'd always gotten excellent reviews of my writing in other classes. TA couldn't either.

Also, have a few other people, preferably including another English prof. go over your paper and evaluate it just to see if maybe you do have some weak areas that you didn't realize were there.

 

[Quaero]

Yeah, that's...a bit late to be looking for advice.
I'm doing an MPH now for some reason, and one of my profs is very very set in the exact ways she likes her papers written. You do it her way or you get a low mark. So the thing to do is meet with her as early as possible and ask for advice, meet after the first paper and ask how to improve, etc. It doesn't matter that I did just fine in every other paper-requiring class and that her specifications are stupid, you do it for one class to get the grade.

Waiting until the last day probably won't get you anywhere.

Exactly this. I think this is an opportunity for you to know that sometimes doing well just doesn't mean anything if it's not good enough for some people.

If you don't have a choice and have another professor like this, go and ask for "advice" early. Remember that your goal is to learn AND get good grades.

 

[Doctor246853]

Thanks everybody. Luckily everything went well ( I think). He was cool about it and said I can do some redos and rewrite some papers before grades go in. We talked for a while and I kinda put it all on the table. I don't agree with his way of thinking on 99% of the topics in class but I have learned now to go along with the flow to get that grade (period).

 

[Doctor246853]

Exact reason I try to avoid them, too subjective you're constructing a paper to match someone opinion. Nothing you can do really except appease the beast. Ask for pointers on how to create a better essay(realistically though, it won't matter just tough it through at this point).

I now know. I now know. One person might give you an A+ while the other gives you a D, that's life. Oh well, I'm taking the easiest teacher next semester.🙄 Will I learn anything? Probably not.😎