Myth Buster: College Professors

February 21, 2010 • written by Emily Beaver

            Everyone knows that in the traditional stereotype college professors are: older, unapproachable, and completely heartless when it comes to personal conflicts.  Thankfully, not every professor in college personifies this stereotype, though I have to admit, a few come close.  The first important thing to know is while someone is standing in front of your class each day giving a lecture, they may not be a professor.  After establishing who is and is not a professor, I will share a few stories about some professors I have had, or have been informed about.  Professors that embody many traditional stereotypes, and ones that break the mold.

           One of the first things a student learns when they attend classes for the first time is that not every class is taught by a professor.  Some lectures are given by graduate students in that particular field that are looking to make some extra money between their classes, while others are taught by teaching assistants.  A basic rule of thumb to distinguish professors from the rest is what they ask you to refer to them as.  If they allow you to call them by their first names, they are most likely not a professor.

            The stereotype of professors is not far off the mark in some cases like my Calculus professor.  On the first day of class a short, balding man with grey hair entered and set down his supplies at the front table.  Upon removing his coat he revealed a nice suit complete with a chalk fanny pack strapped around his waist.  As the week progressed it became obvious that while his capacity for calculus was astounding, his short term memory left something to be desired.  While my Calculus professor fit the description of an older professor, my Physics professor fits the scientist stereotype.  At first glance my Physics professor looks like the traditional science fanatic with mussed, grey hair and the slightly distant look of someone used to pouring over their calculations and graphs.  However, he quickly changed all assumptions as he immediately proceeded into a rant about the system (the university system, the physics system, the government system, you name it).  An act we were soon to discover would become a habit.  The third and most disheartening of stereotypes is the “I don’t care about your issues” mindset.  Fortunately I have yet to see this idea embodied in any professor, in fact, most professors go out of their way to create leeway because all of them know that life happens.  Consequently, many create a certain number of allowed absences or missed assignments before your grade begins to drop, and give you ways to make them up if you miss too many days.  They really do care about your success in school as long as you care enough to put the effort in.

                  There are also many professors who break the stereotypical mold.  Take, for example, my biology professor from last semester.  When he would get excited about something he would jump up and down with his arms in the air.  He would attempt to make jokes about almost everything, some of the funniest ones were the ones that fell flat.  He shared stories about his studies on lions in the Serengeti and had slides filled with interesting pictures to illustrate the points he was making.  Once when he was explaining pre-humanoid forms he paraded in front of the giant class in an ape walk, demonstrating what the different forms between humans and apes looked and acted like.  I learned so much from him and looked forward to his class every week.  One slightly entertaining thing that professors, usually the young ones, attempt to do is connect with the student body by speaking like them, or more specifically swearing.  It is funny when a word or two slips out in frustration, but some, like my Political Science professor last semester, get a little carried away and what was initially funny just becomes annoying.  Others connect to the students by just being themselves, like my down to earth writing teacher.  He was not a professor but I learned a lot about writing from him and some pretty neat words along the way too.  We learned some new writing techniques while bonding as a class, all thanks to our outgoing, organized yet relaxed writing teacher.

                  So whether professors are stuck in their ways, lenient, completely hilarious, or a little too eager to please, there is no doubt that no matter what the class if the professor is adamant about their subject it tends to rub off on the student.  A good tip to remember is to keep in touch with friends that you make in class and share reviews about professors.  It is much easier and more enjoyable to learn from someone who truly loves their job and who fits your learning style than to struggle with a subject you don’t comprehend because you find the professor dull and difficult to understand.

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