At the end of my middle school career, I took a few placement tests for fun, just to see where my smarts were at the time. I scored far higher than expected, even in Math -which shocked everyone--so I ended up in advanced courses heading into high school. By the time I reached my senior year, I was several credits ahead so I thought I would try my hand at Chemistry. At that time in life, Chemistry was an elective. It only took a week or two when I realized...
"Oh Merciful Jesus, how the hell do I get out of here?!"
I ran like I was on fire from a lab explosion. Formulas. Numbers. Chemicals. No thank you.
Redditor u/nonconformistnugget wanted to hear about the subjects in school that were not worth the effort or stress by asking... What's a red flag that screams "drop this class immediately"?
We all must have those handful of courses that ended up being more of a burden than a lesson. Every human brain is different, so the functioning is unique. We're not all meant to be a genius at all subjects. And there are so many classes we can't escape from. But when you can, you should. No shame.
I'm not doing your job!
professor Diogo GIF by DescomplicaGiphyProfessor starts off the first day with "I don't believe in teaching." Proceeds to explain that we should just teach ourselves advanced physics out of the textbook, and he has office hours if we really need it. Four people (myself included) had signed up for the class. I peaced out of there immediately.
How about a Magazine?
First day being asked to read a 300+ page novel by the next class. I'm sorry, I also have a job and 4 other classes, the world doesn't revolve around your class. I went straight to the registrar's office and dropped.
Déjà Vu
When the first day's intro is way over your head and includes concepts and terminology you've never heard of, and you look around and realize your classmates seem comfortable and familiar with what the professor is saying.
That's when I realized it was not the class for me. Happened to me twice.
Too Much at Once
Freshman me, first math class. The prof whips out a "The first few classes will be easy, so it's not really worth showing up the first month, but the school makes me do this as an introduction so here we go." Then he filled the entire 4 panel blackboard for a single exercise. I dropped out after a month.
Sometimes it's not the subject matter that is the issue. Sometimes it's all about the head of the class. Not everyone who becomes a teacher should be one. Being a teacher is a calling that requires patience, creativity, smarts, an agile game plan and just the plain old desire to want to educate. Certain "educators" need to realize when they should drop the class and find a higher purpose.
It's an "F" for You!
failing season 4 GIFGiphyThe teacher being proud of having a low passing rate.
'not many people pass my class'
Maybe improve your teaching. Sure classes like organic chemistry will have lower passing rates bc it's memorizing a lot but come on, you want your students to understand your class. It's a teaching job, not a fail everyone you don't like job.
I Choose Option 3
"You'll be competing against one another for your grade," said in lower level classes.
Or
"This class will be done in all group projects."
The Replaced
Took a college course where the teacher printed a name tag for you on cardstock. Had to keep it in good condition the entire semester and got points taken off if it wasn't on display on your desk or if it became damaged. No replacements allowed.
Oh I had a version of this but we were allowed to make our own, so long as it was legible. So I at least got to frantically fold together the little toblerone shaped identifier before some classes with lab paper lol. (Yes it had to be shaped like that).
40% is too much...
"Look to your left, look to your right. Only one of you will pass this class."
I've seen this way too many times in this thread, which is a good indication of how common it actually is. My question is, what do teachers get by doing this? I had a prof like this once who just derived some sort of sadistic pleasure from knowing that she had failed 40% of her class and that they'd be stuck with her for another semester where she might have the chance to fail them again. Disgusting, honestly... why become a prof at all if all you're trying to do is play mind games?!
Learning is already difficult enough. Education, being a student, is a career. And at certain points in life you may be juggling more than one career to pay for your career as a student. That's a lot. So why do some schools and courses come with extra steps and hidden surprises? How do you make a class a requirement, but fashion it to be nearly impossible to conquer or even sign up?
Expectations
Microprocessors class. Online with no actual zoom sessions. Just email. Might as well be a self-paced instructorless course.
Resources include links to crappy or nonexistent YT videos, and a giant pdf of some outdated mind-numbing textbook, 80 pgs of assigned reading per week. Instructor has does not engage.
When asked for some alternative internet resources, says "any search engine will help you with that." Has "super high expectations" but then randomly gives you 100s or says that the assignment was secretly extra credit and doesn't matter anyway.
Also just looks like an absolute prick based off of his avatar.
Required Mess
excited book GIF by TikTokGiphyI was in college a long time ago, before you signed up for courses online and the burden was on the students to check out all the pre-requisites.
I signed up for what I thought would be an elective course to fulfill graduation requirements, only to find out that this course had two pre-requisites I had not completed.
The very first class was incredibly confusing. I dropped the class after checking the course catalog again.
Oh the Quizlet...
When the teacher is absent for half a freaking year then assign a crap ton of work and doesn't even teach. Then you come to find she takes all assignments from a quizlet so you 1, can cheat on all tests, and 2, you can just teach yourself and say thank you to the original quizlet owner bc they teach better than your crappy chem teacher.
Be a Grown Up
Professors who refuse to let students use the bathroom during class. Or just generally treating college students like they're children.
Listen, craphead. If I'm 22+ and paying to attend your lectures for my degree, I'm going to go pee when I need to. Get off your high horse, this isn't middle school where I need to ask for a hall pass.
It's All Too Much
Over It Drinking GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphyTried really hard to get in limited seats in Japanese class.
Only because I loved learning new languages and cultures. 2 days in, anime guys started showing up and converted it into daily anime convention. The professor was easily overwhelmed. Dropped in less than a week.
With the amount of money higher education costs these people can't be serious. If there was ever proof that education, all education should be free. Hello... can I get a refund?
For Nothing
"None of your other courses matter - this is the most important course to you" yep sure prof.
My capstone/senior project class senior year, the prof said, "For the next sixteen weeks, you belong to me." It was valid, since it was my senior project that did require a ton of work, but I was just like... uh, sir, I have Many other commitments that also need my attention.
Can you explain?
Oh God years ago, I was taking a math course in college and multiple people had gone to admin because the prof had such a strong accent none of us could understand him, even after requests to repeat things and to slow down his speech. He was as frustrated as we were. Everyone failed as even the assignments weren't clear. At the tail end of the semester, they finally got an interpreter. We all passed because we'd been put in an impossible situation.
And you education is?
I had a professor that pretty much had his students do the work for him. We were put into groups, he gave us a list of topics and each class 2 groups would do a presentation.
That dude didn't teach one class himself.
Huh?
Confused Excuse Me GIF by GIPHY NewsGiphyI took an American folklore class taught by a Japanese prof with a THICK accent. I could have gotten used to the accent, but she was extremely soft spoken on top of it. It was an ASMR dream, but I couldn't hear shit. Quit after 3 classes.
No "A's" for you!
"I don't give out A's"
Attendance is mandatory.
Syllabus is a distant memory by the second class.
Your grade depends on anything outside your direct control (including - especially - other students).
And this might be a bit specific to CS, but if you've been working in the field professionally for years and the professor spends half the first lecture ranting against "industry hacks" that care more about "git 'er dun" than elegance and algorithmic efficiency... You're not going to have a good time.
These are the people who are suppose to be teaching us all hw to be professionals right? I'm not crazy. Am I? Maybe I should get a teaching position. Sounds like my daily life already. LOLOL
You're not at Home...
I had a professor who would come into the classroom 10 minutes before class started, take off his shoes, sit cross legged on a chair, and refuse to talk to any students before class started. He also was extremely condescending and wore hideous suits. He ran the class like a high school class, like you had to ask to go to the bathroom and stuff like that.
Worst part is, it was too late for me to drop that class by the time I spotted the red flags.
The Racket...
think phylicia rashad GIFGiphyTextbook is mandatory.
Textbook isn't available electronically.
Textbook is written by the prof.
Sometimes I think about enrolling in college again. Not as a full time student but I could just take a class here and there. Maybe stroll the quad in some fresh kicks, learn what the cool kids are jamming about nowadays. I could discuss philosophy or dissect the human brain in Psych 101. And at this age, I can legally--not ethically or morally--date my professors. But then I read chains like this and I realize... nah, that's why God invented Google.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
