I find http://www.ratemyprofessors.com to be an extremely helpful tool. I've checked out every professor that I've taken so far and they've all turned out exactly like the comments on http://www.ratemyprofessors.com have said. I find that, for the most part, the comments and ratings are either very good or very bad. Positive ratings usually make up 75% or higher of the comments and the negative are usually the same. On occasion you will find the same professor rated by one student as "the best professor ever" and "too hard and totally unfair" by another. In those cases I tend to give the benefit of the doubt to the professor.
Here is a good example. I won't name the professor but his entire profile is as schizophrenic as these two reviews:
WORST PROFESSOR AT FIU! please do not take this class. Attendence is mandatory (everytime you miss class he drops your grade a letter grade), his lectures are pointless and completely rediculous and he is extremely unclear on directions. Unless you absolutly LOVE to write and waste your time on a daily basis, don't take his class.
and...
Definitely one of the best professors here at FIU! He knows his stuff and is passionate about writing. He cares about his students and is available in and out of class to help you with your writing. It's true, there's a lot of work involved but very rewarding experience. A word of advice: don't procrastinate!
(notice that the bad review of a writing class came from someone who can't spell ridiculous, absolutely or attendance and thinks that every time is a compound word)
Does anyone have any horror stories about professors they were expecting to be nice or easy thanks to ratemyprofessors but turned out horrible?
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10 years ago
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3 comments:
RMP either wasn't around when I started college (2002-2005) or it was but I didn't use or know about it. But looking back through all of my teachers, I wish I had used it. I didn't really have any horrible teachers, but there are a few I would have avoided if I could have-- and others at my school apparently felt the same way.
RMP is my savior. I use it every semester, but it's been nice having friends in my major who I trust more than anonymous comments.
I do take into consideration how the post is written. Like in your case, misspellings and rambling on about how TIERRIBL* a teacher is.. most likely tells me this person is a complete slacker and was expecting a blow-off course.
The worst part is when you are stuck with a teacher, no choice in the matter at all, you check RMP and EVERYONE dispises them. Sad face, low rating and getting absolutely BASHED in the comments. Makes that first day dread even worse.
I tend not to believe in the positive comments on the site because what makes a teacher supposedly good varies. Yet, what makes a teacher bad is almost always universally the same.
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