Words

Words

Monday, January 12, 2009

Rate My Professor Dot Com

Okay, so first let me say in my defense, this guy was NOT on this web site. Not, not, not. And it's bad because it would have saved me 7 days of pure anxiety and doubt. Also in my defense, let me say that as an adult I have made the Dean's List, maintained a 4.0 GPA most of the time, except in Advanced Algebra (I still got a B+).


At first I just thought it was me. Wow, I am really dumb. I can't remember the difference between physical and chemical properties* after two days (for the first quiz, held on the 3rd day of class). I mean ya know, it's pretty basic stuff right? Matter, exponents, the number of atoms in a molecule not so hard I think to myself. So what is wrong with me? I am lost and the guy has moved onto the third chapter without so much a decent explanation of one concept. In fact on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday he began each class with an apology and corrected what he had previously shown us how to do INCORRECTLY. WTF???


I am in a fog on Significant Figures (of which I did figure out on my own, thank you very much). I am in a deep, thick, 2 feet visibility maybe if you are lucky fog regarding Dimensional Analysis and Conversion Factors. You know you are in trouble when he begins going over the homework and loses the class on about the third question. Once he realizes this he tells us to break into groups and go over it with one another. As if any of us in the room have a clue how to help one another. Have I just landed on another planet? I must be mistaken that the only guy who can consistently be wrong on the job and still employed is the weather man. This guy sucks.


Now, before you think I've misjudged him wait a minute. He's young. Early 30's at best. Single. Worked in a laboratory the last five years trying to figure out why dysentery globs onto the glucose that is attached to our bowels. That's what this guy has done for the last 1,825 days. Imagine that. I begin to get it as he is unable to answer our simple questions. He can't. He is so far ahead of us and it's just been to damn long since he dealt with the baby, elementary ideas behind chemistry. But at the same time, he's a bit pissy about it. There's a small chip on his shoulder, so the guy has some ego. His pride is a bit hurt that he can't teach this easily to us and we can't follow Mr. Advanced. So much for thinking he got a good case of aspergers syndrome, he's just another teacher who can't teach. Thank god he's only the second one I've met in the last 20 years.


Luckily for me, I can take this course again in 9 weeks with another chem geek. Hopefully, the rumors I hear about the next guy are true and I will be able to pass with flying colors. I'm not in the habit of dropping a class and since I choose to agonize over this all weekend I lost $200 bucks. Of course the drop date with full reimbursement was Friday. An expensive, early morning (class was at 8am every day), one week trip to hell. Thanks teach, at least I got to met the dean of math and sciences and he was quite pleasant.




*physical properties - observation of the material does not change
the material


chemical properties - observation of the material does change
the material


Just sayin'.

No comments: