Would the classes in deaf studies or poli sci fulfill any distribution requirements?
Define crappy teacher. Perhaps I was extraordinarily fortunate in college, but although there were some professors who were better than others, were easier or harder graders, or that I liked more than others, I don’t think I had any BAD teachers. And this was at a big state flagship. I have a hard time believing that NEU would have that many bad teachers that it would really restrict your class selection that much.
But if there really are only two classes you can take, then take the one that interests you most that fulfills the most requirements.
Sometimes (if you find a time fit) the prof can make an exception or you can wait for the first week in the chance someone drops.
So sign up for one of the others but if space becomes avail in a class that works for you in the first days (meaning French), you can drop the one you register for an add another.
I don’t know the time frame and if it’s right but I know for pre med they recommend others like psychology and / or sociology courses.
Others would be better to answer but might one of those be suitable here ?
EDIT : I would talk to the French prof - and see if a space will open. Seems to me, skipping time before re engaging in a language puts one in a difficult spot.
okay, so the Poli Sci covers my “Understanding Societies and Institutions” NUpath requirement, and the Deaf Studies covers my “Interpreting Culture” NUpath requirement as well as my “Difference/Diversity” NUpath requirement.
I’m using rate my professor to throughly check the reviews and most of the other teachers have not great reviews, falling in the 2-3.0 range.
Right now the only NUPath requirements that are being covered are the “Natural and Designed World” from my Biology class, and the “First Year Writing” from the FY Writing Seminar, so either class would be good. /thoughtful
EDIT: Found one class for religious studies that I can take… honestly any of these classes would be fine to take, I just need to figure out which one. /sighing
Realize that the two labs do bring you up to a full course load. However, if you are going to take another, it should fulfill a distrib req. So register for the one that interests you the most.
I think you are wise to avoid classes with poorly rated profs.
it’s showing as only 15 credits in my schedule, the weird thing is NEU counts labs as a 1-credit, so it shows up as more, I guess? I think I’ll try to take Poli Sci or Deaf Studies, the religious studies teacher doesn’t seem like the best based on the ratings. I’ll ask around with some close friends and family and i’ll update when i’m feeling better what i’ve decided. /thoughtful
They do, but since I don’t plan on using it for now, I’m adding a class. My advisor has told me I can ask for the reduced courseload up to the 5th week of a semester, so I’m going to see how it goes. If I realize I need it, i’ll ask for it. /warmly
…actually, the only bad teacher I had in HS was in my Dual Enrollment class at a local university. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have amazing teachers all my life (with the exception of that one.) /sheepishly
EDIT- i’m going offline bc i’m not feeling wonderful, so if I don’t respond, I’m alive, just sick. /adding on
I just edited my last post - I’d see if there’s a Wait List, etc. for French and sign up for poli sci or deaf studies but see if you could then swap in the first week.
I know you have a french fluency but in general, I think taking time off a language makes it harder to come back to it with similar ease.
Signed up for the poli sci class (american gov)- i’m a history nerd (had an A in APUSH and a cusp of an A- in APWH so… that. and history has always been a strong suit as well) + the ratemyprofessor ratings are super good + the class seems like an easy A so that’s my decision for now. i’ll see if a spot opens up for a french class that fits later on but i like this decision /whelp that’s it for now
If you’re using Rate My Professor or similar to avoid “crappy” professors, please be aware that those evaluations are really not reliable – unless there are dozens of reviews that more or less say the same thing, it’s usually the case that the only people who post on RMP are the ones who had a horrible experience or a fantastic experience in a given class. So it’s a skewed sample. Most students don’t bother. And student evaluations are famously biased (white, male professors tend to fare best). You’re unlikely to run into too many truly awful teachers, so take those evals with a grain of salt.
And I agree with the the suggestion above to show up to a class you want to take, even if it’s full. Be in touch with the professor to express your interest. Either the professor can admit you to class with an override, or someone will drop in the first week or two to create space, and then you’re in because you showed up. This happens all the time.
I went to college before online ratings. BUT- professors with terrible “word of mouth” usually had one thing in common- “foreign accents”. One of my favorite professors was rumored to be terrible, can’t understand him, etc. He was from the same region as my grandfather-- I had grown up listening to English spoken by my grandfather in that accent- and I had zero trouble understanding him. He was fantastic in every possible way and was a mentor to me long after I graduated, helped me with grad school applications (I took time off to work after getting my Bachelor’s), etc.
So recognize that there is a lot of xenophobia on college campuses regarding accents from China, India, Pakistan, Eastern Africa, and even some residual issues with Russia/Europe. You may find it easier to understand a “foreign” accent than an accent from parts of the USA!!!
My kid used RMP consistently for the first couple years where they had options for classes and it worked really well in almost all cases. (This is a top school, and yes there are bad profs.) Very true that it is not reliable if only a couple/few reviews but if 5-10 or more then my kid found it to be very very helpful.
Yep, professors with accents get lower ratings – as do women, people of color, professors who have a reputation for being tough graders, professors who assign a lot of work … none of which has anything to do with quality of teaching, of course.
Thanks for the advice! Ironically I have a family member who’s a poli sci professor and he had horrible reviews just because he’s Pakistani + had a heavy accent- so I do take the reviews with a handful of salt! I just want to see what I’m signing myself up for (literally) by using RMP. That being said, I’m going to keep American Gov (the poli sci class) in my schedule for now and see if there’s a way I can take a French class- “worst” case, I take it next semester, and I can enjoy Poli Sci! /warmly
Some can be bad - with or without an accent - having an accent doesn’t mean they’re unfairly rated but it could be a bias.
I work with many people that some can’t understand as I work for a foreign company - and there will always be biases.
Hopefully you get a good lot and enjoy your classes.
But no one is perfect and it’s unlikely, but possible, no one is that poor. If they were, a school with the resources of NEU would likely have addressed it. My daughter had that prof last semester and he’s no longer on the rolls - and she’s at a school with not near the financial cache of an NEU. People are paying a lot of $$ to send their kids there so I’m guessing the school will want to ensure professors are doing what they need to. Typically the schools survey kids - and will get a lot more responses than the RMP.