Bad professors are sometimes unavoidable, so it is better to learn how to deal with them than to just complain for an entire semester. From having bad teachers in high school to rough professors in college, I have acquired a few tips and tricks that seem to work best for surviving that terrible professor.
1. Visit them
Sometimes the only way to understand how a bad professor works is to visit them in office hours, see how they act outside of the classroom and adjust accordingly. This is a great time for them to clarify things going on in class but also a great way for you to understand their mental process when it comes to difficult topics. If you can understand where they are coming from, you may be able to do better in class.
2. Go to class
Sometimes a professor makes you not want to come to class because they make the material too difficult, but I can assure you not showing up will only make things worse. Show up and prove to your professor you will not give up.
3. Ask questions
This sounds a little basic, but I think people tend to forget the job of the professor is to actually teach you the material. This means, if you do not understand something, you need the professor to know that, so they can adjust their teaching.
4. Find people in the same situation as you
Make a study group of the people in your class so you can all figure the class out together. Doing this on your own will be more difficult than if you do it in a group. Also, find people who have taken the professor before, ask them how they did, find out if they have any tips for you.
5. Talk it out
Talk to your professor and discuss what you think is going on. If the professor doesn’t know they’re bad, then they have no way of changing. I’m not encouraging you to tell off your professor, but I am encouraging you to discuss ways they could improve upon their class and lectures.
Sometimes professors can forget that this is the first time students have learned this stuff. They’ve been doing it for years, so it can come off as being a bad professor if they move too fast. Always be patient and try your hardest!