So this is my second semester of college and currently and one of my courses for my major is extremley difficult. Today in the lab version of the course the professor was really trying to get me to think about the concept but every time I try to answer any question the he may have I get so scared and nervous that I start to stutter and panic because I’m afraid if I answer it wrong he might get disappointed in me. Some of the questions I didn’t get right he didn’t get mad but by the tone of his voice it seemed like he got serious a little bit. I even told him I tend to struggle with topics similar to this in the beginning of the semester but I’m not quite sure he understands that much. Hes a good person and tends to give me extra time but I don’t think he may be as patient as the other professors I had last semester.
Since I had a hard time understanding what he was trying to explain to me today I ended up with a little tears in my eyes but luckily I didn’t show it to him so I ended up going to the bathroom and letting all my frustration out silently my eyes were bright red and watery. Luckily I was able to get it beneath me and when I came back I had a clear mind and was ready to do the work and I was able to make much more progress the second time then the first time.
Has anyone else experienced a professor getting serious with them or perhaps yell at them or the class? I think I made the right choice by running away to the bathroom and calming myself down before proceeding to the next tasks. If anyone here has gotten frustrated in a class or find a class difficult what were some things that you did to overcome it? Do you guys think I handled the situation better because I could have cried in front of the professor(which I didn’t want to do at all ) so I went to the bathroom to calm myself down. I have also gone to tutoring center whcich seemed to help quite a bit I’m thinking I should go there more often. If anyone has similair experiences I would like to know thanks any advise is appreciated.
Professors can be somewhat patient, but they have to 1) Teach you a certain amount of material 2) In a certain amount of time 3) And see if you have mastered that material
I would go to the counseling center at your school. Maybe you should be evaluated for anxiety?
Maybe this isn’t the right major for you?
Maybe you need tutors and to go to professor office hours and to get a study group together.
It sounds like you are putting too much stress on yourself and you put a lot of weight on what your professor thinks of you. Of course you want a good relationship with your professor, and you want him to think well of you. But he doesn’t have to think you are perfect, and it’s OK to take a while to understand a concept. Sometimes you might have to tell him that you are having a difficult time understanding but you’ll address that at the tutoring session. That way he can get on with moving the class along for others. I do think that @bopper’s comment about going to the counseling center is a good idea. During the course of your life you will have to deal with all sorts of people who will be in positions of authority (like your future boss), and the counseling center can help you learn different ways of communicating with them and managing expectations. You are so young now, that you haven’t learned all the skills you will need in life dealing with others, and working on these skills will help you significantly in all stages of your life. It’s a great investment of your time for your future.
Also note that expecting a professor to be “patient” and responding to crying may have worked in HS where you are required to be there. In college, they do not have to pass you. You do the work, and they evaluate the work you have done and give you a grade based on that.
Definitely go the counseling center to get support and get a tutor to help with the class.
I would visit the prof in office hours as often as you need to get a handle on the material. He/she will appreciate your effort and you will feel more comfortable with the profs style.
Some students need more help than a prof in office hours has time to give, though. Does the department offer tutoring? Can you form a study group with other students in the class?
Yes I totally agree that in the future I may encounter my future boss who has some expectations like he has. Tommorow is my class with him again Im really hoping I can go in there with a calm attitude and not let my anxiety take over me that happens a lot when I deal with a difficult situation. I understand that its college and the expectations are different. In high school I would embarass myself in class quite a lot when I tried hard not to. In college I noticed that I have grown somewhat that instead of getting frustrated in front of the class i go take a walk for 5 mins and then come back with a fresh mind. It has worked for me quite a bit. Ill have to see about counseling service on campus I know my school has one but I have to look into it further. Thanks for your suggestion.
Yes believe it or not I used to cry in high school quite a lot I admit I was not good at dealing with tough situations at all. I would embarass myself infront of the class because of the home issues I dealt with along with bullying in high school. SO GLAD that in college none of that exists everyone just minds their own business for the most part and people here are friendly. I know that expecting professors to be all the same which they aren’t is not really the best approach. Lots of my major professors were patient but some I met but haven’t actually had a class with them yet. Tommorow is my class with that professor I will try my best to not overthink things and just enter in with a clear calm mind. If anything happens like I start to feel nervous I know what to do in order to handle it. Thnaks for your suggestions.
I just wanted everyone to know that I passed my second semester of college as well. The class I was talking about that was difficult I earned a C-. I know its not great but I’m just happy I passed and I don’t need to retake the class. My second semester GPA was a 2.92. I learned a lot from freshman year of college I had a lot of fun as well as stress here and there. I hope second year will also be good. I feel so happy as I’m typing this. College is lots of fun but theres lots of responsibilities too.
I wanted to thank everyone once again for all your suggestions going to office hours and tutoring center has helped a lot. I should defenetly take full advantage of these next semester as well. For my second semester I had two As two Bs and that C- I mentioned earlier.