Spending the amount of time that I have on campus has allowed me to become familiar with some of the faculty and staff and if it weren’t for them constantly supporting me, I might not have been here as long.
I have been fortunate to have many classes with some of the same professors throughout my time at Ferris.
They showed up consistently, offering guidance when I felt unsure and encouragement when I doubted myself. Their support helped me grow not only academically, but also personally.
Looking back, I realize how fortunate I have been to learn in an environment where people truly cared about my growth, even when I struggled to see it myself.
Not everyone feels this same way that I do and oftentimes it feels like I am hearing more students complain about their professors rather than lifting them.
I recognize that many students I go to school with do not share the same positive experiences with professors that I do and I have heard some stories that are generally troubling. Hearing these perspectives has helped me better understand how differently faculty interactions can impact students.
I’m sure all of us here have used Rate My Professors, whether it was to check the reviews for a professor or write one of our own.
The reviews generally seem to be overwhelmingly negative, to the point that people are changing their schedules or worrying about going into a course because of these negative comments.
That right there is a problem, in my opinion.
I am not saying that people can’t have negative thoughts about a professor or that there weren’t valid reasons for them to write that review.
But as students, we need to take this information with a pretty big grain of salt.
I say this because we all learn differently. We shouldn’t be altering our course schedule, classes we spend money, on because of a review on a free access website.
As I said previously, there could have been valid reasons for these students to write a negative review but there is no way to know for sure.
These could be students who didn’t even engage with the course or lectures, or may not even be students at all.
There hasn’t been a time when I have been worried about going to go my classes after getting acquainted with my professors. Why did I have any worries initially? I believed those reviews when going into classes myself.
Letting go of this method of allowing complete strangers to determine what professor would best fit my educational needs allowed me to meet the wonderful instructors who have made me proud to be a student.
A personal reason I believe we need to take any outsider reviews of professors with a grain of salt is that Ferris has some of the most understanding, caring and genuine people teaching our students.
Sure, it might be biased because I go here but all of the professors I have had fostered such a caring environment and I still feel like I can go and talk with them today, even if I don’t actively have their class.
I feel comfortable bringing my concerns to them, sharing work from other classes with them and can even just have genuine conversations with them
I have made the joke that I spend more time talking with my professors outside of class than I do with my friends. Sure enough, that joke has kind of become a reality but one that I am okay with.
That is the type of relationship we should be able to have with our professors.
We should be able to connect with them and feel like we can go to them with any concerns, goals or even achievements we make throughout our academic careers.
If you don’t already communicate with your professors or other faculty outside of classes, I encourage you to do so.
Take advantage of their office hours, even if you don’t have any questions or concerns within the course. Use the time they are providing you to talk with them and really learn from them.
I am deeply grateful to the dedicated staff and faculty who have guided me and challenged me throughout my academic journey. Their constant support and belief in me have meant a great deal and have played a significant role in my growth.