All the Things You Wish You Could Say to Your Professor

There is no worse fear than walking into your first day of class not knowing what to expect. Sure, you can have your books prepared and have already looked over the syllabus online the night before, but you’re never fully prepared for what’s to come when you first sit down in class. It seems like no matter how much school experience you have, there’s always that one professor during your whole school year or semester that you just don’t like. Maybe they have a unique way of teaching or they’re just straight-up boring. Regardless, here are all the things you wish you could say to your professor.

Please slow down

Yes, we know that the class can only be so long and you have a lot you need to get done in that certain amount of time you’re given. But if you really want us to keep up with you and take good notes, don’t talk too fast.

Is this going to be on the exam?

Maybe the professor told you and you didn’t listen or weren't paying attention at that exact moment. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you can’t raise your hand to ask a question or to repeat what they just said because they might get annoyed or worse, not answer you. We know we miss things sometimes, but the least you can do is reassure us of some things.

Do you really expect us to get all this work done?

Sometimes it feels like professors don’t know we have other classes so they just give us a bunch of homework and assignments thinking we’ll be able to get it all done and spend the most time on theirs. Newsflash, some of us take three to four more classes and are bombarded with twice as much work to do. So, if we miss an assignment or don’t do as good on something as we should’ve it doesn’t mean we aren’t completely dedicated to the class. We just have to worry about other obligations too.

Why do you have to call on people who aren’t raising their hand?

We can understand if it’s someone who is clearly not paying attention and you’re annoyed with them. But for some people who are shy, have social anxiety, or just clam up at the thought of having to speak and have all eyes on them, it can be a lot. So, think before you call on that person sitting in the back of the class. They probably chose that seat for a reason.

How come in order to get a good grade we have to participate?

Again, for people who don’t like to talk in class, sometimes they tend to be the ones to put more effort into their assignments and work so it makes up for not raising their hand. To have a class weight heavily on participation should not make their grade go a whole letter down when they’re doing a lot of work. Please, be considerate of those people.

Can we leave early?

Whether it’s an 8 am, afternoon or night class we all feel the same way and would rather be out of there than stay another minute longer. We sure you sometimes feel the same way too.

We hate group projects

So, stop assigning them to us. Because to some of the people that tend to do most of the work while others just show up during the presentation or just put their name on it without doing any of the work, we’re sick of it! We would much rather do our own work than have to rely on others to do nothing.

I hope you’re able to relate to some of these. And as a new school year slowly approaches, just remember you’re not alone when it comes to feeling the same way about your professor.