How To Deal With A Tough College Professor

College life is not all fun and games as many people make it to appear. You’ll have lots of assignments, tough decisions on what to major on and not to mention a difficult professor to deal with. Doing quality work, learning from people and proper time management can really help you to get through college. If you are having a difficult professor, here are a few tips on how to deal with him/her:

Always Attend Classes On Time

Missing classes or coming late is one of the worst things you can do if you already know your professor is difficult. You really want to get on the professor’s good side so try and make it to all his classes and do so on time. The professor is likely to pin-point the students who are not serious early. Don’t make the mistake of attracting the professor’s attention for the wrong reasons like coming late or missing classes.

Engage During Class Discussions

Whenever there is a discussion during the professor’s class, try and participate. This will make the professor notice you for the right reasons. You want the professor to be able to see you as a serious student. Being actively involved in lectures can really help to get you on the professor’s good side.

Manage Your Time Well

Plan your work well in advance to avoid submitting your assignments late. You also need to review your syllabus as early as possible. This gives you the opportunity to speak to the professor regarding the syllabus or ask for clarifications. Don’t start tackling assignments last minute and trying to reach the professor to clarify issues when you had a lot of time to do so but kept on procrastinating.

Bring Up Challenges Early Enough

If there is an area or concept that you seem not to understand, make sure you bring it up early. Don’t wait until the exams are done to claim that you failed because the topic wasn’t clear.

Be Mature When Raising Concerns

Some college professors will never do as the students please. For instance, when your professor doesn’t agree to extend a deadline or sets up a CAT when none of the students are in agreement, do not start complaining like children. This is the easiest way to annoy your difficult professor. Accept the decision and simply plan around it. In the event that the professor is very unreasonable, consider filing a complaint at the dean’s office. However, don’t rush into doing this if you know that it’s just an excuse. Have a solid explanation as to why you would want deadlines to be moved or your grade to be improved.

Your professor will judge you in the way you chose to present yourself. It is important to impress him/her by becoming actively involved in the class, submitting quality work and attending all classes without fail. Remember that you are in college for a short time so a little sacrifice will go a long way to ensure you have the best experience.