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trying to keep up.

How to cope: Alas, in some academic disciplines, it's a tradition that the exams are so obscenely hard that class averages around 30% are typical. Dr. Uphill is hardly the kind to break that tradition. In a small class, a calm discussion about the workload can sometimes convince Dr. Uphill to be a little more reasonable. In a large lecture section, however, your best strategy is to use the same approach as you would with Dr. Stratosphere. Make a pest of yourself, and as you do, find out what it is that you really need to know. If there's anything Dr. Uphill likes above all else, it's a student who is interested in the topic.

These are just the most common difficult professors, and of course you may meet variations on each of these types. If you find coping difficult even with these techniques, and if you know for a fact that class after class has had the same problem, consider talking to the department head or the dean. If you have a real grievance, especially if your grade has been compromised, talk to your own adviser and find out what your school's grievance procedures are. In most cases, however, a problem professor will inspire more eye-rolls and giggles than real grievances. As a smart student, you'll find your own method of coping to get through the term and on to better and brighter professors.

Learn more about this author, Karen Bledsoe.
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