Allison Dominey

Staff writer

aldorminey@valdosta.edu

As add/drop week has finally come to a stressful end, we must face the fact that we are stuck with our professors for the rest of the semester. At least one semester, a student will have a professor that might not be the most compatible and the next semester the greatest professor that everyone wants.
Let’s focus on what makes a good professor. The witty and sometimes intimidating ones have always been my favorite. I gain respect for them right away, and there is no room for procrastination after the no-nonsense aura is established. This is important because professors who start the year off easy sometimes give students the message that the professor does not take the class seriously and neither should the students. Passion is also very important. I enjoy seeing a professor’s love to teach a group of students, and who is willing to resort to more innovative methods of learning.
My first year, I heard everyone asking around about professors. Is she hard? Does he make you take notes? Does she take role? How are the tests?
Regardless of the professor, it’s the student’s responsibility to assimilate into the class and get the most out of it. This is my opinion but I asked around to see what other students have to say.
I asked the simple question, “What makes a good professor?”
Sophomore Elizabeth Callahan answered, ” I think a good professor is someone that interacts with his class and cares about his students’ success.”
Freshman Michael Abbott says, “one that teaches the material in a interesting way and that will go out of their way to help you if you don’t understand.”
We all have expectations and preferences for our professors, and the same goes for the professors. To get a good professor, students should focus on being better students.