Having been a college student for 3 years, I’ve come across my fair share of professors. Before we delve into that though, it’s important to note that I honestly believe that teaching is one of the most respectable professions out there; being involved in the process of educating another person is definitely an honorable occupation. That being said, here are some of the types of professors you meet during your years at university:
The Straight Out-of-School Professor:
Those kinds of professors probably cannot fathom the thought that, yes, high school-ers are different from college students. They ask you to place your phones on their table, and to raise your hands to ask to go to the bathroom. They may also call assignments “homework.”
The Young, Unbelievably Hip Professor:
They probably graduated, got their Masters and PhD in a jiffy and somehow ended up being college professors when they’re in their late twenties/early thirties. They’re everyone’s favourites, regardless of the workload of their courses. You may or may not find half of the class crushing on them.
The Totally Strict and Extremely Formal Professor:
They ask you to address them with “Dr. *insert their last name* at all times and to only speak to them in formal English. If you send them an email, expect a reply within two business days. They will not let you in the lecture if you’re five minutes late; they follow the rules and expect you to do the same.
The Extremely Talkative Professor:
Basically, their two-hour lectures consist of them and only them talking for the 120 minutes straight. They may or may not be fast-talkers, causing you to bend over backwards to try and jot down any notes.
The Too-Open-About-Their-Personal-Life Professor:
Expect them to start and end their lectures with a personal anecdote about themselves, their family or their friends. They talk more about their personal issues than about the course material. Sometimes, things can get a bit awkward when someone raises their hands and asks them to go back to explaining what’s on the syllabus.
On a closing note, there are many other types of college professors out there, but one thing’s for sure; they always end up impacting our lives in one way or another. Really good professors inspire you to focus more on their lectures, and ones who cannot explain their ideas well teach you how to self-study. So, even in the worst-case scenario, you end up learning a thing or two!
