More Effective Scheduling Help Than Rate My Professor
Monday, February 22, 2010 by Mike Bertolino 
Know what you're getting into. Image via Flickr User DavidSilver under CC 2.0.Ya know what'd be really nice? Knowing what work is expected of me for a class prior to committing to it during scheduling season. Unfortunately, students have to do some serious forensic work to decide what classes are best for them. That's lame.
Here are two tips to make the best schedule possible with out having to drop any classes after the semester starts. Because who needs that grief?
Obtain A Syllabus
Looking on sites like CourseHero, Koofers, or StudyBlue where students gain access to the site by the amount of content they post. Syllabi are easiest for students to post, so it's likely that there will be some there.
After receiving said syllabi, look over them to see what kind of work they entail. Is it a lot of reading, or just a ton of high school busywork? Is the teacher a hard ass about attendance? These are all questions that can be answer by having this packet.
You might be saying to yourself, "That Mike doesn't know what he's talking about, I'm just going to go on to Rate My Professor to find out how easy this class is." Okay, let me explain this a little more.
While a site rating professors sounds like a good idea in theory, you don't know the people who are rating that poor shlub. The students who go on to this site might have been the only person to have a bad experience with said professor. The students who enjoyed his/her class might not have wrote a review because they were content with the experience they had.
Plus, going by what the syllabus say about the professor will hold up more than John "No Work Ethic" Shmoe on Rate My Professor because it is a binding document. The professor has to do what they say in the syllabus.
Use Friends Experiences as Case Studies
Now, you're thinking, "Mike, what the hell do I do! I can't find a syllabus for this class anywhere." In this case I would like to refer you back to another post, one that shows how friendliness be the best thing for you at college.
If you build a network of people, especially within your major, you'll be able to find out much more concrete information about what happened to your classmates when they ventured into your prospective classroom before you did. So, while this is similar to a site I've mentioned beforehand, it's possible you will find more detailed accounts of experiences with professors by actually having a conversation with someone about them.
These people you talk to, maybe the ones you study with, will have a better grasp on how similar your learning style is to theirs. This will help them make the judgement call on whether a certain class is good for you or not.
Hopefully you find classes that work well for you next semester. Good luck scheduling!
Has what you read on Rate My Professor not been the case when you walk into class? Comment below to share!
Reader Comments (4)
I think most professors are probably pretty reasonable people and would send you the syllabus if you shot them an email. Never forget the direct method :)
Direct method always pays, especially in academics!
As someone else commented, the "direct method" is a good one to try. If you want to learn more about a class, consider visiting the professor during office hours. Office hours schedules should be available. If not, send the professor an email to ask when you can drop by to talk about a class you're interested in. In addition to asking peers, why not get the info straight from the horse's mouth? This approach might be intimidating, but professors are there to help. That's why they have office hours. If the professor is difficult to reach, communicating with the TA of whatever class you're interested in is another great option.
Also, don't forget about shopping period. Use this time wisely to try out some classes. Often, you don't know if something is right for you until you try it.
In school, it is really not a good idea to just wait and see what your class will be. Researching is always essential to know what to expect regarding the course and the professor's approach to it. While it is very easy to research online, it is definitely better to go around and ask a couple friends about their previours courses and professors.
Duncan Samuel
Business Scheduling Software