The surprising reasons why professors are hard on students

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.

Why professors pick on some students

Have you ever wondered why some professors are picking on their students, but in a good way?

Maybe they seem like they are being hard on their students, but in reality, they are challenging them.

See, I was a professor and I can tell you exactly why some professors seem so much more difficult than others and may be hard on their students.

It isn’t exactly what you think.

Why is my professor so hard on me?

Professors can’t teach

Okay, I can’t speak for all professors, but a lot of professors weren’t exactly taught how to teach. A professor may seem more challenging, difficult and picky simply because they don’t know how to teach and have no idea that students even think that they are picking on them. They are naive.

Think about it. A professor is teaching the material, and isn’t really taught HOW to teach it, so they seem like they are being hard and difficult, but they just don’t know how to be any different. They may just need more experience or for students to point it out to them on their teaching evaluations.

Professors are challenging students’ intellect

I find that most professors seem like they are being hard on some students because they expect more from them. Or they know that the student can rise to the occasion if they are just pushed a little more.

For example, a professor may know a student is talented but isn’t applying themselves. They hone in on that student to force them to work harder.

It isn’t meant to be mean or to pick on them, but to help them be their best.

Professors are preparing students for the real world

Most students are taking college classes to earn a degree. And that degree will eventually land you a job in the real world.

Professors want students to have marketable skills and be adaptable to many different situations. So the professor could push students beyond their limits so that the student is ready for those same circumstances in a career.

Professors may lack compassion

Now, I don’t know any of these professors personally, but hearing from some of my readers, they may exist. Some professors just could lack compassion and might be intentionally picking on students for their own benefit.

This type of professor may just be having a bad day, week or year. Or maybe the student challenged them intellectually and they are responding to that behavior.

It’s not right, but I suppose it could happen. Anytime you have the human element, anything is possible, I guess. Unfortunately I cannot really explain what would motivate these types of professors to pick on a student because I never behaved that way, however the internet suggests these types of professors exist somewhere. It isn’t personal. And the professor is struggling themselves.

Professors are acting like their past professors

Since a lot of professors don’t have a degree in education, we may learn how to teach from our past professors when we were in college. And if those professors were hard and picked on them, they may be imitating and modeling that same type of behavior.

Graduate school can be rigorous and it’s usually the last formal education a professor received, and it can be easy to simply do the same things that you experienced during your own educational experience.

Professors were students once too

Since professors completed a formal education in college, they understand what it is like to be a student. And they likely know what it takes to make a student go beyond their own expectations.

So, they are harder on their students because that is what it took for them to be successful in college too. And they want their students to really dig deep just like they were required to do once.

Professors think the subject is important

While some students may be just trying to get through a class to get a grade and a degree, the professor knows the subject inside and out. And they want you to know it too.

They take their material seriously, and know that students will likely need it later during their lifetime. It’s easy for them to seem difficult or appear like they are picking on students because they just want students to take it seriously.

And it can be especially true for certain subjects. If you have someone who is studying pre-med and wants to become a doctor, you really want those professors to be tough on their students because you want the smartest and toughest to persevere.

I know these reasons helped you understand why professors might be picking on their students. It isn’t always what it seems, and there is likely a logical explanation for it.

And if you have a difficult professor, check out my entire guide dedicated to helping you deal with it.

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