College professors can be so full of themselves sometimes

United States
January 8, 2012 6:28pm CST
Ever since I started college I've noticed how some professors can be a little cocky and full of themselves. My first experience with this was in my freshman year when one of my professors sent all the students in the class quite a nasty email about how she was supposed to be referred to as "Dr. O'Bryan" since she had her PhD and that she wasn't a "miss, Mrs., Ms., or Professor". I was kind of offended because she didn't need to be so rude about it, and also, she was hardly ever there for scheduled classes and at the last minute she would say that there was no class. Then, when I transferred to the school I'm at now, I started taking most of my classes online. I've had really good experiences where the professor was extremely helpful and always answered questions. Then, some of my other professors don't even help out or participate in the online discussions. Oh and forget about emailing them, they'll completely bite your head off for asking a question. And then underneath their name it has PhD and all the schools they're associated with and how many licenses they have and to me it's ridiculous. Some of these professors seem to be in it only because they have to in order to get funded for their research and projects, they seem to care less about their classes and do the bare minimum. It doesn't bother me that they don't want to help, fine whatever, I'll just cover the material on my own and then be done with the class. What gets me is the fact that they're so cocky about all their accomplishments when really, I could care less about if they're going to be so rude about it. I really hope this isn't what college is like because I'm in for a rough few years ahead of me lol. Have you ever had any rude teachers or just cocky teachers?
5 responses
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
9 Jan 12
Sometimes I think that professors really need to be full of themselves because they work hard to get all those designations beside their names, and yet when they come out in the real world they still get disrespected by the people who work with their hands. I know it's a bit mean, but that's how I see them in movies anyway.
• United States
10 Jan 12
I think to a certain extent you may be right. But on college campuses the professors are usually pretty well-respected from what I've seen. I just don't know if it's certain people and their personalities or what, but I've dealt with some rude teachers. But then I've had other incredibly smart professors who were pleasant to deal with and were overall really good professors.
@yanzalong (18981)
• Indonesia
9 Jan 12
Some are some others aren't depending on their personality. Sometimes, a professor look cocky but when you get close and know him or her better, you will know his or her true personality. All that happened to you was very different to what I experienced when I was still in college. Most lecturers always entered the classroom with their smiles, greeting us all. There were a few of them who were very clever. When he entered the classromm, he started with a motivating strategy. Students were not aware of the class being started at that very moment. He s tood in front for appoximately 5 minutes telling us something, which in the end we all realised that it was something to do with the target lesson. Some other professors spent hours lecturing and made us all bored and doze on and off. I think proffessors are all very educated people in their field of study but not all of them have good teaching techniques. Most of us got knowledge from reading books, not from professors' lecture. What do you think?
• United States
10 Jan 12
You're right, some professors are brilliant but can't put all their knowledge and use it in teaching. There have been times where I've had to rely on the book to get me through certain courses.
• China
9 Jan 12
To be honest I have met with such professors in my college life. I know they are effficiency men and own so many titles, and what they are proudly showing off is all about these things, what the hell is it to do with us students? It would never bring us with any value. Maybe we could not deny that the bad social atmosphere has somewhat polluted the campus. But in my deep heart I hold the belief that most professors are of good personality and ready to help when we need it. So my friend, do not lose confidence about your college life.
@bostonphil (4459)
• United States
9 Jan 12
I have been around brilliant professors who were well known in their respective fields but had a lot lacking as individuals. Sometimes they were rude, haughty, insensitive, unkind and full of themselves among other things. You said cocky and full of themselves. That is one way of putting it. I have my B.A. in psychology so I have been around a lot of psychologists and mental health professionals. While some of these persons were great psychologists, they could be rude ands jerks as individuals. I won't go into any details. I worked with some of these persons as well as studied under them. I went on to get my M.S. In Urban Planning. I did a very original and interesting thesis on the music industry. My professors ripped me off. They benefited from my work and my ideas and I was left with nothing. It is too late for a civil lawsuit but there are ongoing criminal investigations.
• United States
9 Jan 12
That's exactly what some professors seem to be like. I'm sure they're absolutely wonderful in their field, but like you said, they're rude individuals. I'm working on my B.A. In psych now and I've come across this a few times. I've had some rude professors so far but I've also had professors that seemed to truly care about helping us out. I just wish the rude ones understood that they come off as jerks. It doesn't seem right for them to act that way just because they have all these degrees and their own private practice
@iamroms (78)
• Philippines
9 Jan 12
I got very disappointed during my 1st year college life because of this certain teacher. She was teaching us MATH OF INVESTMENT that time. She would always give you a first quiz before discussing the lesson. OMG! The book she required us was not helpful at all and very hard to understand that's why we kept on failing that time. Then, when I asked her "Miss, how did you arrived with that answer?" She answered me "Because it is what was there in the book" like WT-EF??? And then My friend asked "Miss, would you please clarify us how did you solve this problem?" and answered him "I don't know how but that is the answer" OH MY GAAAAH! How did she become a teacher, anyway?