Choosing your professors is one of the glorious perks of being a college student, but don’t get carried away in the process.
Rate My Professors is a website I am sure a great deal of you have heard about, or quite possibly used yourself. While this website does offer students a slight glimpse into the classroom setting a teacher may have, it is simply just that: A glimpse.
“RateMyProfessors.com is a common website that college students use in order to determine what professors or classes to take based on reviews given by previous students,” The State Press article stated. “However, it shouldn’t be the only resource students rely on.”
I have seen countless times students refuse to take a professor or drop a specific class for the sole reason they based their opinions on the comments of others on Rate My Professors.
“Besides the obviously messed-up morals of publicly rating another human being, Rate My Professors has no form of verification for users, an article by Reveille stated. “This means that anyone can create an account and post whatever they want about whomever they want.”
This is something that needs to be taken into great account when reading the comments on professors. How can one be completely sure the information they are receiving is 100% factual when you can’t tell if the writer of the comments even attends the same university?
Some of the most influential professors I have had since I started attending college don’t have the best ratings on Rate My Professors, but if I wouldn’t have attended their classes for the simple fact of a few poor reviews, I wouldn’t be as confident in my work as I am today.
The Daily Targum brought light to a crucial point when it comes to why students may use Rate My Professors, and it goes to show this tool can easily be misused; therefore, leading future students astray.
“Emotions run high at the end of any semester,” The Daily Targum article stated. “The anger surrounding a lowered GPA will color the contents of any review, regardless of what caused the bad grade to begin with. Navigating Rate My Professor becomes slightly more challenging when considering all the factors that go into a professor’s ‘score.'”
Don’t jump the gun and instantly assume the worst in a professor for the simple fact there are people out there who may have had a less than pleasing experience in a class. It doesn’t mean every student has the same fate in said class.
Rate My Professors is a website that should solely be used as a guideline, not as your ultimate deciding factor. Try taking a class from a professor that may seem slightly out of your comfort zone and you never know, one of your best college experiences may come from it.
