KNOWING about that 'bad' teacher...

[Folkeye]

Right now, slowly taking one class at a time to get the prerequisites done. I know me and my study habits. So working full time and doing one 'heavy' class (4-5 units worth) is enough for me. Need to keep motivated right now and not quit! So far I've only had 2, my Algebra and my first ever Chemistry class is nearly complete.

Looking ahead and trying to plan life and school, I wandered on over to the rate my professor site and peeked at a few potential teachers I'm to have. I'm mortified on one of them. The over all consensus of reviews on her are quite awful. They say she's super moody, no empathy for students (only patients) and is more out to try to fail you instead of have you learn (she will and HAS failed a whole class. Apparently not for lack of trying). A teacher that thinks 75% is doing good, yikes! The type of gal that picks favorites and challenges you to the point of it being a weeding out the 'weakest link' instead of encouraging them to learn. There's complaints from students about her really messing with some students that are hard working and would have gone on to be awesome nurses. Sounds like nobody can please her, nobody knows how to study for her and she's pretty dang mean.

I know to take that rating site with a grain of salt, but I've noticed I will have no choice in choosing another teacher for that specific pre-req (Drug Calculations has to be taken before applying). So I'm freaked out. If she's supposed to be teaching the math and makes it much, much more complicated than it is.... what does one do? How do you deal, knowing you will be going into one of the worse rated teachers you've seen so far for your school?

It's a while before I take that class (at least a year since I want to take it closer to being able to apply). The second runner up is a teacher that is disorganized and puts things on her test that weren't in lecture, or the notes or even used in class. She also loads the lecture/lab tests in one night. How does one learn to study for the unknown without just trying to learn everything from a book on the off chance it's on the test? This one I'll hopefully be taking next Spring (doing the two semester Anatomy/Phys course).

Yeah I worry before I get there, especially when there is no alternative!

[nolanurse88]

I write a sincere review on each professor every semester on ratemyprofessor.com good or bad. I feel it's important to know the experiences other students have had instead of going in blind. I base my selection on if >75% says do not take that's what I go by. I've had my share of poor professors and have had great ones ever since I found that site. I believe it's true some professors have to make a subject harder than it should be and I avoid them.

[LaceElaine]

I was in a similar situation last semester. I signed up for my last pre-req (statistics). I only had one option so I didn't look at ratemyproffessor until after I had enrolled in the class. When I read the reviews, I was horrified. Everyone ranted and raved about how mean this teacher was and how nothing on the tests were anything like what they had learned in lecture. But despite the nasty reviews, I went ahead with the class. And I'm glad I did!! He turned out to be one of my favorite teachers! He was the sweetest old man I'd ever met! He did all that he could to see that his students succeeded. I was actually sad to see the quarter come to an end.

Like someone else said, reviews are more often written by the displeased. All you can do is go in with a positive attitude and put in 100%! I strongly believe that you get back what you put in. Ultimately, it's YOU who determines your grade. Not the teacher. Good luck! :)

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

You will work with people who you do not like or agree with. You will have bosses you do not like or agree with. You will work with doctors you do not like or agree with. Your option is quit or figure out a way to survive. Adapt and overcome. Forget what "people" say and hit it hard. I would look forward to the hard work..means only people willing to WORK will graduate. Should it be "easy"?? All that time people complain they could have been studying. Your choice. More homework? Smile about it. High expectations from an instructor..thank GOD for that!

[mae0218]

I sometimes have a hard time believing reviews of people. It seems like many negative reviews come from people who didn't study and received a bad grade, which I know isn't always the case. Anyway, the reason I have a hard time believing reviews is that I've read reviews for my A&P I professor versus my A&P 2 professor. A&P I professor gave us just the right amount of information--not too much and not too little, and if you studied, it wasn't hard to get an A. A review of her said that she was too difficult and had to drop her because she gave too much information and actually switched to the professor I have for A&P 2, who teaches at a very high level and gives students a tremendous amount of information.

But, there are times when I look up a professor with many, many negative reviews that span over several years and I tend to believe those.

[DosmoRN]

In learned in nursing school and in nursing: never swallow some else's opinion whole. Take some mental notes, but immediatly file them in the back of your mind. I can't remember a single time that relying on anothers persons' critical evaluation of someone has helped me. Like some others here, I often ended up liking the very people that others warned I should avoid.

In the course of my nursing career, I often received report from the previous shift about a patient as being "horrible", "demanding" etc. When their nurse reported to me, they were tired and frustrated (as I knew I might be at the end of MY shift). But I never approached a patient with the thought that they were going to be difficult to deal with. I tried to express a friendly disire to help them and an optimistic attitude. Sometimes they were almost no trouble at all. And I happily did what I could for them. Sometimes, I could see how (having heard report) they might have been difficult to deal with, but at least I wasn't taken by surprise. And, after all, things might go better on my shift. Sometimes my patience was stretched to the limit, and I was ready to tear my hair out. But the shift always ends, though it may feel as though it won't!

The one thing I found was, that if I was expecting trouble from someone, I was almost sure to have it! If I expected reasonable behavior and co-operation, I was much more likely to get it. Not everything depends on the other person. Your own attitude flavors a lot of situations.

[Folkeye]

I write a sincere review on each professor every semester on ratemyprofessor.com good or bad. I feel it's important to know the experiences other students have had instead of going in blind. I base my selection on if >75% says do not take that's what I go by. I've had my share of poor professors and have had great ones ever since I found that site. I believe it's true some professors have to make a subject harder than it should be and I avoid them.

I actually signed up for the site to write my own reviews, but for some reason it wouldn't let me at the time. Might have to try again. My math teacher last semester was reviewed both horribly and good. Guess it depended on the class and location he was teaching. I didn't look at him until after I got in class. I did agree with some of the negatives since I thought them myself before looking up reviews, but all in all did fine in the class and he was much more helpful than people led on to believe. A bit quiet and fast, but hey, been there, done that, next class! Which thankfully is almost done! (my first ever chemistry class).

[nandosport]

Uh, I rate professors to warn people and give fellow students tips on how to succeed in the course. I've made As in courses with awful professors and I surely gave them the rating I thought they earned. I don't care what grade I earned. If the professor was awful, the professor was awful. If the professor was awesome, the professor was awesome. And lastly, I don't think having a horrible professor is comparable to working with someone you think is disagreeable.

[dt70]

What's bad? low quality, not easy, or not hot?

I've had some very high quality with very low easy. Some low quality and high easy. Hotness is in eye of beholder.

[I'm_no_Genius_but]

Opinions are just that - opinions. They are not fact. I am appalled at the "whiner culture" that prevails in college these days. Because, of course - if I don't do very well in a class it must be the teacher's fault. Nursing education has always had a very high attrition rate due to many factors. Very few students have an accurate idea of how difficult it is or how much work it will take on their part to be successful. They generally hit 'the wall' with Statistics, Chemistry or A&P. The next big hurdle is adapting to Nursing classes which require a completely different way of thinking.

My personal opinion? We need to set the bar higher on the front end to ensure that pre-nursing students have the ability to succeed. NCLEX pass rates are declining across the country as nursing education has turned into a profit-making enterprise - and enormous marketing hype to convince everyone that they 'deserve' to be a nurse if they fork over enough tuition money.

If you have the intellectual horsepower and exert an appropriate degree of effort, you will be fine. Don't buy into the hysteria.

Excellent advice...to what ever field you are going in...especially nursing!!!!

I have a thread running now on "Are nursing schools saturated, less applying?" I hope you come to that thread a post a comment...whatever your response...I am sure it will be directly to the point!

[Folkeye]

What's bad? low quality, not easy, or not hot?

I've had some very high quality with very low easy. Some low quality and high easy. Hotness is in eye of beholder.

'Bad' as in the general feedback from those that left feedback on RMP was this person was out to get you on all levels. From making the subject over complicated, to telling the class getting a 'c' is doing really well. This spans across the years from what I can see.

[windsurfer8, BSN, RN]

"super moody" Ok...you will have bosses that are "super moody". 2. No empathy for students. You will work with people are lack empathy. Doctors who lack empathy. 3. Weeding out the weakest link. THAT is life. You need to learn how to survive no matter the instructor and no matter your co workers or boss. Adapt and overcome. Weeding out the weak and the people who should not be nurses. THANK GOD! I have been a nurse for 8 years and I have worked for all kinds of people. You either learn how to work under different expectations and stress or you quit. Your option.

[Folkeye]

"super moody" Ok...you will have bosses that are "super moody". 2. No empathy for students. You will work with people are lack empathy. Doctors who lack empathy. 3. Weeding out the weakest link. THAT is life. You need to learn how to survive no matter the instructor and no matter your co workers or boss. Adapt and overcome. Weeding out the weak and the people who should not be nurses. THANK GOD! I have been a nurse for 8 years and I have worked for all kinds of people. You either learn how to work under different expectations and stress or you quit. Your option.

That is indeed true no matter what the job.