College classrooms are often seen as places of shared learning, but students and professors frequently experience them differently.
At Utah Tech University, more than 13,000 students attend classes with an average student-to-faculty ratio of 23 to 1, meaning a single professor may be responsible for dozens of students at a time. Misunderstandings between students and professors are common, with both sides feeling their perspectives are overlooked.
National research suggests this gap in understanding is common around the country. College students often juggle heavy workloads and financial pressures, while faculty members face stress from teaching, grading and administrative responsibilities. These competing demands can lead to misunderstandings in the classroom, where each side may feel the other does not fully understand their challenges.
Professors
Becoming a professor requires years of education, training and specialized knowledge. Many professors spend a significant portion of their lives studying their fields before stepping into the classroom to share that knowledge with students.
Nate Snow, an associate professor of media studies, and Jim Haendiges, professor of English, both said that their careers are what bring them meaning, and they wish students understood that they dedicated years to their profession.
Haendiges said: “It’s the thing that we want to do for the rest of our lives. Although we’re understanding, we have to temper that because I know every student isn’t going to be as passionate about it as I am. Just that they know that I’m not doing this as a job, I’m doing it because I love it.”
After years of dedication to their subjects, some professors may sometimes overlook that students do not always share the same level of interest or focus.
“We’ve spent so long in them [career] that sometimes if people don’t love what I’m talking about, when it’s something I’m really passionate about, it’s almost as if I get my feelings hurt,” Snow said. “I realize that I’ve spent all this time in my field, that they’re just at the beginning of their journey, so give them some patience.”
Many professors teach several classes and manage large numbers of students each week, and they say students may not always realize how much preparation, grading and administrative work happens outside the classroom.
Snow said some students sometimes expect quick grading, but with more than 150 assignments, it takes time to give meaningful feedback. On every assignment, Snow gives students a personalized video highlighting what he liked about their work.
He also acknowledged that some professors can sometimes forget students have other classes, jobs and responsibilities, and that both sides have a lot going on outside the classroom.
While there can be misunderstandings, both expressed the joy it brings them when students care about learning and engaging in the classroom.
“I have to acknowledge that students do show interest,” Haendiges said. “If you give them an opportunity to put a little bit of themselves into these assignments, they do show a degree of curiosity that is fun to see.”
Snow said it’s great when students and professors are able to learn together, and that taking time to work together on something can be powerful.
“You don’t know everything, we don’t know everything, but together, we will combine what we don’t know, and we’ll ask the right questions of each other,” Snow said. “And by the end, all of us will complete those course learning outcomes. You will have a far more valuable college experience, and we will be far better as teachers. If we can always just be a little more honest with ourselves.”
Students
Some students on campus said they felt like professors don’t understand their lives outside of the classroom. Sometimes, the workload becomes stressful while also managing their daily lives.
Lauren Fletcher, a senior integrated studies major from Anchorage, Alaska, said: “I feel like the times have changed, not everything’s the same as when they were in college. With the AI checkers and getting accused of things, it’s hard because they don’t always realize it’s not the same anymore.”
She said the rising cost of college and living expenses has made it more difficult for students today. She added that some professors may assume parents are financially supporting students, when in reality, many are managing their expenses and responsibilities on their own.
Jonny Castaneda, a senior integrated studies major from Los Angeles, said he has sometimes felt that professors see him more as a grade than as a person. He added that communication can be lacking when it comes to certain assignments.
Gage Thacker, a junior mathematics teacher education major from Murray, said he also has felt like just a grade in some professors’ eyes.
“I had a biology teacher freshman year that just came and talked about his fishing adventures and the things he was catching,” Thacker said. “He would then assign a massive test to us on information he vaguely went over.”
Students say that while there are moments of frustration, they still feel supported by professors in different aspects of their academic experience.
Fletcher said she appreciates when professors simply listen. She added that feeling heard is important to many college students, especially as they invest significant time and money into their education.
Despite misunderstandings, both students and professors said they care about their work and about each other’s success. Many agreed that better communication and empathy could narrow the gap between them.
