7 stupid simple ways to find the perfect professor
About the author
Hi there. I am the prolific professor with 15 years of experience teaching online and in-person. I have a graduate degree. I have a passion for education. But I’ve also worked in the professional world (outside of education) too. Thanks for visiting.
College students hoping to find the best professor should consider the qualities that make a professor amazing. And search online rating websites, course evaluations, and consider auditing a class. But even something more helpful is talking to other students and getting their recommendations on their favorite professors. But an investigating student needs to ask why that student loved that professor.
How do I know which professor to take?
You are about to register for classes. You finally have a major nailed down, maybe, and you are ready to embark on new adventures. But you are afraid you might pick a class taught by a hard professor or register for a course with too many assignments.
And worse, maybe you’ll enroll in a class that puts you to sleep.
No college student wants to get a bad professor.
So, what do you do?
You don’t know anyone yet and can’t ask them who’s class to register for so you start searching online, and you come upon several websites with professor’s rankings.
You start to read them, and find the one professor who has the best ratings, that say they are cool, they are the best and most awesome professor ever and this class is for you if you want an A.
That solves it. You know which professor you want. Or do you?
See, I was a college professor. And I had lots of experience. I can tell you how to find the best professor based on a few important factors.
Don’t worry, I got you covered.
How do I know if a professor is good?
Okay, let’s get to business.
I can’t tell you how to find the perfect professor until I discuss what students want from their professors.
What makes a good professor to one student might be entirely different for another student.
Think about it.
One student may want a professor to challenge them. And appreciate the abundance of assignments they get during the semester.
While another student likes a professor because they grade easily.
Or told lots of jokes during the semester.
The definition of a good professor is going to vary based on the student.
But I’ll discuss different ways to find the best professor for you.
Most students would say that they want a professor for a course where they have the best chance to succeed.
This means that most students probably want a good grade.
Let’s jump into a few more things first and then I will tell you ways to locate these professors.
What do students look for in a professor?
Fair – You probably appreciate a professor who is fair to all students and doesn’t pick favorites. This means that you’ll get the grade you earned, and won’t get special treatment, but either will other students.
Fun – Now, college isn’t a comedy show, but it’s nice to have a professor with a fun personality. Maybe they don’t take themselves too seriously and tell a few jokes here and there. And realize humor can exist in a college classroom.
Knowledgeable – A professor who knows the information inside and out, and can teach well, is an awesome combination. This usually results in the students grasping all the material without much complication. This can lead to students earning better grades in the class.
Mentor – A professor can be good if they also serve as a mentor for students. For example, they help students find jobs, serve as a reference, write letters of recommendation, and help students find their way through their academic and professional career.
Experienced – If a university instructor has professional experience in their field, it can be really intriguing for students. They aren’t simply teaching from a textbook but have real life experiences to share with students.
Timely – Any good professor will be on time to class and grade assignments promptly. No student wants their professor to show up 15 minutes late to every lecture and take weeks to grade assignments.
Challenging – Not all students, but some, want professors who are going to challenge their intellect. Maybe they require assignments that make students think critically and do independent research. This can help you later in life
These things, among others, are what makes professors good.
Now let’s talk about how to find amazing professors. These tips will help you find professors that are good.
Should you check professor rating websites to pick a professor?
Online professor ratings and websites
Some things to consider when taking college courses are the impact that the professors have on your learning and future career. You may say that all the other professors have terrible ratings, or they require lots of homework, and plenty of students said they did not pass.
While this can be indicative of a professor’s overall teaching style and effectiveness, it may also be students who skipped class regularly, or who did not apply themselves.
I would also caution you to think about how long a professor has been at the institution. Professors will need to get evaluated regularly, and nearly all universities and colleges will have some type of student evaluations, and if they were really that bad, don’t you think they wouldn’t be teaching anymore?
Now, I will say that most universities work on a tenure-track system, and this system allows professors some protections, which will make firing them more difficult. But again, to get tenure is rather difficult and you’d assume that during the time it took them to get tenure, someone would have recognized their awful teaching abilities.
So please use caution when considering those online reviews as you might miss out on a professor that challenges you to think critically, helps you excel in your future career, or even has the networking to help you snag an amazing internship or career later.
I went to my old professor ratings and checked them out. And when I read them all, I concluded that around 80% of the reviews provided truthful information in their review. Other times, it seemed like they confused me with another professor, had inaccurate information to rely on for their rating, or were dissatisfied with their grade.
So please use caution when looking at these websites.
Why are some professors not on rate my professor or other similar websites?
Some professors might be omitted from these types of professor rating websites because no one has rated them yet. Or they are entirely new to academia or the university.
How to choose a professor?
Audit a class
If you want to find out which professors are phenomenal, try thinking about college classes differently. Think about their assignments, do they challenge you? Think about their teaching style, is it engaging? Think about their ability to convey meaning to a lecture, is it effective?
How will you know this? Ask the professor if they allow potential students to sit in on their lectures?
Check with your university or college and ask them if you can audit a class. Most colleges allow students to sit in on one class. This is a great way to learn more about a professor. Don’t forget about this opportunity. Especially if you might have to take the same professor for several classes. It could easily be worth it.
Check syllabus
Some states and colleges are required to make their course syllabi public. This means that you could review any syllabus you wanted before enrolling in a course. Keep in mind that these syllabi are current and past syllabi only and could change once you enroll in the course, but they can give you a starting point.
You can see what the professor expects and if the course is right for you.
Ask other students
While online rating websites are available, you don’t really know the students completing the reviews.
How about you ask students?
When you are in the campus hallways, talk to other students.
Ask them who their favorite professors are.
Go ahead and talk to your classmates too.
Ask them if they would recommend anyone that they think is an amazing professor.
This method can give you loads of information.
Throughout the years, I had students tell me they took my course just because another student recommended it.
That means a lot. A good word can go a long way.
Visit professors
If you are interested in a particular class, find their email or office hours.
Contact them and ask them questions about their course and offerings.
You’re just feeling them out to see if you are getting a good vibe from them.
You may have 20 different professors to choose from.
Send an email to your top 5.
Ask them how their course is outlined. And follow-up with some additional questions regarding the coursework.
Just ask some general questions.
You can learn a lot by their responses.
And you’ll find out if they are quick to respond too.
Check evaluations
This isn’t true for every college, but you could see if the university posts their professors’ course evaluation results online.
Not all do, but I have seen some colleges that will make these results public.
They typically won’t publish the comments made by the students, but they will release the ratings.
Don’t pass this up if your college makes these available. Unlike online websites, these evaluations are completed by more students and will likely get you more reliable results.
Read their faculty bio or CV
Most universities will post a biography of each faculty member on their college website, or you can find their curriculum vitae online.
Just search the college’s website for your professor and see what information is available.
You can read a lot about the professor’s accomplishments and professional experience by viewing this information.
How to choose between two professors?
If you have narrowed down your professor choices and have two that you just can’t pick between, I would suggest that you look over their experience and see which professor aligns best with you and your goals.
If you need to ask for career advice or request a reference later, you’ll be better off with a professor who has similar interests and experience.
I do not suggest going with a professor simply because you’ve heard they are easier on their students.
Can you choose your professors in college?
In most situations, you can choose your professor in college. However, you might be limited with your options.
Let’s say that you have to take this one particular class, but only one professor ever teaches it. You are out of luck.
But most of the time, multiple professors teach the same course so you can shop around.
Also, sometimes you might need to take a class at a certain time to fit it in your schedule. You’ll have fewer options on the number of professors you can choose from so while you can typically pick your professor, you might limit yourself based on the class you are taking and the time you want to take the class.
I know that these 7 ways to find the best professor will get you on track to enroll with an instructor who is a good fit for you.
Don’t expect every professor to meet your expectations, but if you can dwindle the list of professors you want to consider for your courses, it can make your college experience more meaningful.
It is important to learn as much information as possible, excel in your college courses, and build lasting professional relationships.
This list will help you make that happen.
You’ve got this.
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