Just Annoying Professor Things
By Judy Lee ‘17
I’m going to preface this by saying that I appreciate the work that all my professors (adjunct and TAs included) have done to enhance my educational experience. The following are just minor pet peeves against a grand scale of mental and emotional transformation I have gained from receiving an education at one of the best universities in the nation. Professors put in a lot more work than we give them credit for, but sometimes they do things that can drive their students up the whiteboard…
Technology blunders
It makes sense: there’s been a lot of development in recent years when it comes to technology. Even looking at Facebook’s interface from 2009 will make some cringe. Sometimes, it’s funny when the professor doesn’t skip the YouTube ads or know how to turn off annotations. But sometimes, it can get old (pun not intended) really fast. Same thing for when the projectors require 20 minutes of setup. Though, there aren’t many students that could do much better, so perhaps that’s more of a logistical thing. But you’d think that after 10 weeks of classes, the routine would have become much more efficient!
No reviews of wrong answers on tests
Testing specifics will always remain a mystery because it varies from professor to professor. Usually, the professor’s way of saying they don’t want to create a whole new exam will come in the form of a no-review policy of past tests—meaning you aren’t able to learn you’re your mistakes unless you know you’ve made them. Unwillingness to discuss grades when there is time and place to discuss them (read: not argue) is also something I’ve personally never quite understood.
Useless days
By this, I don’t mean days that are subjectively useless. I’m taking days when a completely irrelevant guest speaker shows up to class to talk about a subject only tangentially related to the course. This is also “review days” that quickly derail into silent “I’m waiting” battles between the professor and the class until it’s awkwardly dismissed after 20 minutes.
Power trips
This pretty much goes for anyone in the world, but it gets especially awkward you’re your professor begins to power trip in class. Ways this can manifest itself can include:
- Unconstructive criticism on projects and/or essays that are meant to humiliate
- Calling someone out randomly without much reason to
- Stepping beyond the “teasing” line and stepping closer to bullying
All that aside, professors do pretty amazing things here at USC. It’s funny to look back and think about the mistakes some may have made, but it’s important to keep the good in perspective as well. However, if you feel that the last point has hit pretty close to home for you or you are feeling victimized by a professor, do not hesitate to contact the authorities on the matter. Here is a link on how to report Title IX related offenses as well as discrimination-related offenses.
What else do professors do that bother you? Let us know on Twitter!
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content!
Check out our Instagram, where we feature a week in the life of a USC student each week!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.
