So I got a teacher who hates my guts. Idk why but that doesn’t really matter RN because it is to late to fix it. My issue is how do I get through it with a decent grade? She says I " don’t even deserve a D"(somehow though after I went to the dean I’m getting a D, #winning) and actively cuts off ridiculous amounts of points. Like for example we turned in a research project proposal and she gave me-20 (of 50) points due to “a boring title” I’m sorry but a research project on the history of debtors prisons (which she picked) isn’t exactly thrilling. Stuff like that has brought me down to a 62.31 percent and when compared to my straight A’s is kinda bad. Good news is it’s a elective so it doesn’t matter to much. Still what can I do about her? We’re a month out and i just don’t know.
You can drop the class.
Alternatively, you can find out why the professor doesn’t like you and try to change. I doubt she would arbitrarily take off 20 points for a boring title. Are you goofing around in class? Do you turn your assignments in on time? Do you roll your eyes at her when she assigns you an essay on something you find boring (of course she picked the research project - she is the professor!!) ? All of these things may prompt her to take off points. Perhaps you could arrange a meeting with her to show that you care about her class and go through her comments on your proposal so you can improve next time.
Yes, you can drop the class and perhaps that is what the professor would like you to do.
Part of the journey of maturing is to self-evaluate. Why does the professor “hate your guts?” Take a look at your approach to the class, behavior in class, and interactions with the professor and ask yourself if your behavior is contributing to your perception of the professor’s feelings toward you.
Is this your only grade in the class so far? Do you have a lot of opportunity to raise this grade?
If you can’t raise it, I would drop the course since it is an elective. Is it an elective in your major?
If you can raise it, make a concerted effort to meet with her and learn her expectations.
Go back and look at your paper objectively (or corral a friend or another teacher to read it who likes this stuff).
Perhaps her “boring title” comment is shorthand for “Not only is this a boring paper with no insight on a subject which has a lot of cultural history and implications for society and economics even today; you didn’t even put forth the simple effort to give it a decent title”. Sometimes you get what you deserve.
It may be that you lack research/writing skills that she expects you to already have. Doing good research is a learned skill and not necessarily something you have even though you do well in other classes.
Or, as you say, maybe she doesn’t like you. I hate to think that offhand but it does happen. If you REALLY think that is the case (after re-reading your paper)–you don’t have a chance and should drop.
To answer all these questions I am a nursing major and it is a history class so it is a elective I took because I had a interest in it. As for disrespectful behavior outside of one incident where I reserved office hours to see if there was a way I could pass. (the incident where she said I don’t even deserve a D) where she flipped out and starters saying that I was wasting her time and what not I have really had no bad interactions. As for the paper I brought it to my English honors teacher and he said outside of some grammar issues it was fine and based on the outline we we’re given that I gave to him it was a easy c or b. As for the title thing if I could find a way to post pics I would but basically she circled it in red and put “boring title -20” there was other things too like -3 for missing punctuation. One thing I like about her is she shows where she takes points and how much.
My son took a “Writing for Research” class in college which was invaluable. It was tedious in some respects but well worth it. If you have many history classes with papers (or much technical writing) it would be worth your while to find such a class.