The biggest mistake you make when disagreeing with your prof
Do you hate your professor?
Do you just find some of the things they say inaccurate or highly debatable?
Or maybe you think your professor is disrespectful and you want to speak up but you don’t know what to say.
As a former professor, I know exactly how to help you understand what to say to a professor like this and I will answer some of your most common questions.
And look, I get it. If you have a difficult professor, or a professor you don’t agree with or just don’t like, you aren’t going to have a good college experience.
It can be challenging to be in a situation like this, but I am going to give you as much information as I can to help you make the most of the situation.
What if you don’t like your professor?
If you don’t like your professor, you need to think about why you don’t like them exactly.
Here are a few reasons why students might not like their professors.
They don’t teach well
They are hard on you
They lack compassion
You disagree with them
These are just several reasons why a college student might not like their professor, but you might not like them for other reasons too.
Whatever it is, just ask yourself to reflect first and think about why because this is going to change your response to them.
The disadvantages of not liking your professor
If your professor doesn’t teach well, you might not like them because you risk getting a bad grade in their course.
If you think your professor is hard on you, you might think that they are picking on you or they don’t like you.
If they lack compassion, it might be hard to be in their class because they can’t understand you or your circumstances.
If they are rude, it will likely be hard to have interactions with them and get help when you need it.
And if you disagree with them, you probably have a hard time being in their class because you want to argue with them during lecture.
Whatever the reason is, you need to figure out how to cope with your feelings to make it through the semester.
I am going to tell you how to deal with each one of these situations to help you get through the semester without any issues.
How do you deal with a professor you don’t like?
Ugh.
This can be a difficult situation for you.
It can seem unfair to be in a professor’s class that you just don’t like.
I’ve got several ways to help you deal with this.
Embrace the opportunity
I want you to think of this situation like a test for a future career. You might be in the same situation with a co-worker or boss later in life and you will have to professionally work through it. Dig deep and think about this as an opportunity to work on your resiliency. Try and pretend that this is training for a career and a life lesson.
Talk to them
I think you could get to know them better and learn about what makes them tick. Stop by during office hours or send them an occasional email. Whatever you can do to reach out and try to interact with them more to learn more about them because maybe they are misunderstood. And maybe you will see another side of them and realize they aren’t that bad after all.
PRO TIP : Talk to them about their research or a recent publication. Check online to see if you can locate their curriculum vitae (resume) on your college’s website. Have they published anything or are they interested in a particular area? Use that as a way to start the discussion.
Avoid them
It could be a situation where you should just limit all encounters with this professor. You might find yourself dropping their class just to avoid any further interaction. Or you should avoid enrolling in other courses taught by them. If you can work with a teacher or graduate assistant, I would suggest that instead.
Be polite
When you are in class, try and engage in some casual discussions. How about you say good morning or ask them how their weekend went? This little communication can go a long way in the classroom since few students actually talk to their professors like this. It can open up communication between you and your professor.
But these tips to handle a professor you don’t like may not always work because something else is fueling your disdain. And you need to know how to work through it.
You might be in a situation where you hate your professor because you disagree with a lot of the things they say. And you want to know how you can argue with them, but respectfully.
I’ve got you covered.
How do you respectfully disagree with your professor?
If you disagree with your professor, you should be able to bring this up to them professionally and get a respectful response in return. That’s kind of the point of college, isn’t it? To debate.
I know this to be true because my students have disagreed with me, and as a former college professor, I welcomed scholarly discussion. I loved the idea that students were thinking critically about the subject.
Most professors are humble enough to understand that there are different perspectives and you can disagree with them.
I have to mention that sometimes there could be a right answer, and you could be wrong. But in most situations, there is a lot of room for differing perspectives.
The biggest mistake I see students make when they disagree with their professor is NOT being prepared.
Here is how you disagree with a professor.
Research
You’ve got to start by researching the topic and getting your sources together. During your research, you might find that they were right and you don’t have much disagreement anymore. Or you could find some solid research to discuss with your professor that discredits their opinion. But focus on scholarly sources and avoid random websites.
Be professional
When you are going to argue with your professor, you need to be as professional as possible. Don’t make it into a shouting match. It hurts your credibility. You should remain calm, and be focused on the facts only.
Stay focused
Don’t let yourself get caught off guard. Be prepared for the critical and analytical discussion. Write down notes, and stick to the script. If you start going off on tangents, you could go down a rabbit hole and just be randomly arguing about things that don’t matter. Instead, stick to the facts and don’t stray.
Leave opinions out of it
I know that some arguments are based on opinions. And if that’s the case here, just know you won’t really win this argument. Everyone can have an opinion, and it doesn’t mean you or your professor’s opinion is wrong. My best solution is to try and find scholarly research that supports your opinion instead. Or just don’t disagree with opinion based topics. There is never a clear winner here.
Do it privately
Some professors might feel very defensive if you argue with them during class, especially if they are limited with time or unprepared. I would advise that you visit with them in person and discuss the matter privately. This isn’t required, but try and read the room first if you are going to do this during class.
With my suggestions, I know you are going to be able to navigate this situation perfectly. And remember, it might be worth it to learn from this situation to grow as a person.
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