RRR with Rayan: How to handle conflicts with professors

By Rayan Abdulkadir

Q: I have a professor who I feel like is picking on me, it's like she is always assuming the worst of me and I'm getting tired of it. What should I do? 

Dear reader, 

Thank you for your question. 

This is a really difficult place to be in, especially because in college you are often taught to build relationships with your professors. While I may not have all the context, I don't think you should have to deal with this alone. I have definitely had some professors who I felt were picking on me, or even targeting me, and I honestly had to check in with myself each day. Our education is something we are paying for, a building block for our future careers and, quite frankly, something we have committed our lives to. We deserve to communicate with our professors without fear. 

At this point in the semester, I know it is likely too late to switch classes, but I think you should have an open and honest conversation with your professor. I think an email expressing that you feel misunderstood and want to do well in their course can go a long way. 

My freshman year, I had a professor who I thought hated me; to make matters worse, I was going through personal issues, so I often went to class late, and my assignments were always unfinished. We butted heads every. single. class. period. While I wanted to just drop the class, I thought it was worth it for us to talk in person and see where we disagreed, and it turns out we didn't. This professor just wanted me to do well and was frustrated that my work and my ethic were not matching up to my potential. Not to say this is the case for you, but communicating is what made all the difference. After that, I was very diligent about checking the ratings of my professors before registration. 

I would also suggest you find a peer in class to connect with. Being able to vent, or just talk about assignments or course content with someone else can make a difficult class feel much lighter. 

I will also remind you that this is temporary, and you are going to be okay. Part of college is learning that you can do hard things, or even deal with different people and situations. 

*My advice here, though, only goes for general misunderstandings or mismatched personalities. If you are experiencing inappropriate conduct by a professor, I encourage you to reach out to Student Affairs or complete an incident report here.