School Issues....I'm feeling very intimidated

[letyourselfgo]

Not a guy issue for once!

I love my classes, and love going to them. Great professors, interesting information. Even when I offer an incorrect response or idea, they're pretty nice about it.

Except for one. Just one.

I signed up for a course in Political Systems of China, because it covered three requirements for my degree in one class and they were requirements that I just wanted to get out of the way ASAP. I have very little in-depth knowledge about China and the CPC and other political data.....but I am interested. So, I signed up. The professor who has been teaching the course for the last several years was highly recommended and people raved and raved about the course

This professor was offered a position elsewhere about three weeks before school began, took the position and left the University and the class was left without a teacher. A adjunct professor with a Master's Degree from the History department was assigned to the course, and I figured this out as classes were beginning. Everything else that I could take was full, and I really needed to get through this class.

There the problems began. I am an excellent and eager student, and am always ready to ask questions when clarification is needed.

I ask a question or make a statement, the instructor says something like:

"That's why I assigned the reading." and doesn't answer or elaborate.

When I try to schedule a minute to speak with him, he says "Well, I don't have an office....and I'm not really around."

I haven't seen the instructor say or do any of these things to any other student who asks a question or asks to speak with him....
None of the other women in the class even bother to ask questions....or do anything else. I'm sure that I can be more assertive, but I have no idea HOW to be with this ass of an instructor.

Four weeks into the semester and this dude is pissing me off in the worst way. I dislike attending this class, although the reading and assignments are fascinating, and my anxiety kicks into high gear whenever I walk through the door and take my seat.

Anyone been there? I think that I'm going to plotz or something.

[doriswe]

I've not encountered this, sorry! Have you talked to some of the other students to see if they're as confused, or are 'getting it'?

[letyourselfgo]

Guy #2 is in this class (and one other) and he says that everything the professor says makes sense to him. I've tried talking to others in this class and get the cold shoulder look.

That's the other thing that concerns me: I'm a Junior and am taking almost all 400 level courses in my major. Almost all of the students in these classes all know each other and are graduating in May. It's a pretty close knit group. The only one I actually know is Guy #2 and he's been showing me the ropes.....but being able to connect with the rest has proven to be a very nasty problem.

Maybe it's all just in my head and I need to try harder to chat. Still, it's unnerving.

[udscoobychick]

Sept 19, 2012 22:19:17 GMT -5 mintchocochip said:

I'd email the professor and ask for office hours. He has to have them.

:Y: :Y: And if he doesn't, investigate what the policy is on having office hours (most profs are required to have them!!!), and if he is violating policy, complain to the head of the department.

[turtle1120]

Sept 20, 2012 8:35:48 GMT -5 udscoobychick said:

Sept 19, 2012 22:19:17 GMT -5 mintchocochip said:

I'd email the professor and ask for office hours. He has to have them.

And if he doesn't, investigate what the policy is on having office hours (most profs are required to have them!!!), and if he is violating policy, complain to the head of the department.

This. Or are there any department TA's you could get some help from?

[dakotadangerdog]

How often are you asking questions/making comments? Honestly from your description of the way everyone's reacting it just sounds like maybe you are asking too many questions/making too many comments and you are annoying people. Like, what are you commenting on? If you aren't asking a question I wouldn't think there would be any reason to be talking during class.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 20, 2012 9:35:37 GMT -5 dakotadangerdog said:

How often are you asking questions/making comments? Honestly from your description of the way everyone's reacting it just sounds like maybe you are asking too many questions/making too many comments and you are annoying people. Like, what are you commenting on? If you aren't asking a question I wouldn't think there would be any reason to be talking during class.

I comment or ask a question about once a class. However....many of the students share courses with me in the other major classes and in those, I feel much more confident or am certain of my answers and offer a comment or question about twice a class.

I don't make idle chat in class. In fact, no one does. I should have clarified comment =answer to instructor posed question in class.


My questions are always on clarification on the lecture: Such as, instructor stated: Gang of four was responsible for Cultural Revolution events. I ask: what were the roles of these four in the CPC before this?

Information that isn't in the reading, but would strongly assist in my understanding of context of events.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 19, 2012 22:19:17 GMT -5 mintchocochip said:

I'd email the professor and ask for office hours. He has to have them.

I'll do this.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 20, 2012 1:24:00 GMT -5 dynamoo said:

Can you drop and get credit still? Financially, I mean? Sometimes a professor is not a good fit. That and he may not be ready to teach this class and is floundering......still not a good fit (for any students). The others might be passive about it all.

No. I'm also on Financial Aid and need to remain full time for purposes of my scholarship.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 20, 2012 8:45:17 GMT -5 turtle1120 said:

Sept 20, 2012 8:35:48 GMT -5 udscoobychick said:

And if he doesn't, investigate what the policy is on having office hours (most profs are required to have them!!!), and if he is violating policy, complain to the head of the department.

This. Or are there any department TA's you could get some help from?

In my department....there is one. I am supposed to meet with her later this morning.

[Deleted]

Sept 20, 2012 10:11:40 GMT -5 letyourselfgo said:

Sept 20, 2012 9:35:37 GMT -5 dakotadangerdog said:

How often are you asking questions/making comments? Honestly from your description of the way everyone's reacting it just sounds like maybe you are asking too many questions/making too many comments and you are annoying people. Like, what are you commenting on? If you aren't asking a question I wouldn't think there would be any reason to be talking during class.

I comment or ask a question about once a class. However....many of the students share courses with me in the other major classes and in those, I feel much more confident or am certain of my answers and offer a comment or question about twice a class.

I don't make idle chat in class. In fact, no one does. I should have clarified comment =answer to instructor posed question in class.


My questions are always on clarification on the lecture: Such as, instructor stated: Gang of four was responsible for Cultural Revolution events. I ask: what were the roles of these four in the CPC before this?

Information that isn't in the reading, but would strongly assist in my understanding of context of events.

To be honest it sounds like fellow students and professors are annoyed with you. No one likes a self-described "eager" student. Is it common for other people to ask question as much as once a class? I'm pretty sure in all my college courses it was rare for someone to ask a question except "that" person.

And are these questions you really need to ask during class? For example in the one you had above, it sounds like you could have written a note for yourself and googled it.

[letyourselfgo]

Well...I guess you're right. I've always been this way, and never had an issue. Or no one ever told me that was abnormal. And professors always raved about how others shouldn't be afraid to ask or speak in class.

Lesson learned. Might as well shut my mouth.

[letyourselfgo]

And yes....there are several students in classes who always have something to say. Often.

[Deleted]

Sept 20, 2012 12:34:13 GMT -5 letyourselfgo said:

And yes....there are several students in classes who always have something to say. Often.

Well if this is the case, then maybe I'm off. I'll be honest, most of the classes I took were rather useless in college and people were fairly apathetic, so if someone was asking questions we were just like "Grrr...let's get on with it and get out of class."

However if this is the norm, then I'm not really sure what the issue would be.

[letyourselfgo]

I am a Poli Sci major and most of us in the major are passionate and ambitious and very outspoken as a rule.....at least here at my school.

I sent the instructor an email.

[doriswe]

Can someone please tell me what poli sci really is?? Like what do you do with that major in the real world (I swear this is an honest, non-snarky question)?

[Deleted]

Sept 20, 2012 12:49:51 GMT -5 doriswe said:

Can someone please tell me what poli sci really is?? Like what do you do with that major in the real world (I swear this is an honest, non-snarky question)?

I have a minor in it and really have no idea. I think a lot of my friends who majored in it went on to work in government relations.

But I agree with you MCC, I found most of my classmates insufferable. I was like STOP TALKING I'm too hungover to deal with this.

[stephbfan]

Sept 20, 2012 12:31:06 GMT -5 letyourselfgo said:

Well...I guess you're right. I've always been this way, and never had an issue. Or no one ever told me that was abnormal. And professors always raved about how others shouldn't be afraid to ask or speak in class.

Lesson learned. Might as well shut my mouth.

I used to ask a lot during class. If my classmates were annoyed by that, well too bad. I do think that if there was asking something that could be easily researched online, then it would be a waste of time in class though.

If you feel that there is something you need to have a better understanding, go ahead and ask.

I remember I used to have a teacher who shut down every question just saying that his 3y/o would know the answer.

[gozf]

Sept 20, 2012 12:49:51 GMT -5 doriswe said:

Can someone please tell me what poli sci really is?? Like what do you do with that major in the real world (I swear this is an honest, non-snarky question)?

My friend who was a poli-sci major worked at Panera for a while, and now she's a nanny.

I don't think she's a shining example, though.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 20, 2012 12:49:51 GMT -5 doriswe said:

Can someone please tell me what poli sci really is?? Like what do you do with that major in the real world (I swear this is an honest, non-snarky question)?

I'd like to become a Mass Transit Planner.

Strange major for that.....but I have my reasons. + Grad School at San Jose State.

[doriswe]

So poli sci is a pretty general degree.....like psychology then?

[smock]

I double majored in history and poli sci; now I'm a history professor.

I'm going to be honest, OP. There's a good chance the prof is being dismissive because he doesn't know the answer. As a last minute sub he likely isn't that familiar with the material, and he might be struggling to keep ahead of the class.

It's also possible that your questions are distracting from the material he's trying to cover. But either way he isn't handling it well.

[letyourselfgo]

I'd say so.

BTW, I talked with my advisor and apparently this professor has been the subject of many complaints from students in the class to the department lately. So....I guess that others are also having issues with him.

[letyourselfgo]

Sept 20, 2012 15:35:49 GMT -5 doriswe said:

So poli sci is a pretty general degree.....like psychology then?

Exactly.