Get­ting into the right classes can be quite a dif­fi­cult task in col­lege, espe­cially in your first cou­ple of years, when you do not have reg­is­tra­tion pri­or­ity.  Since you do not get to reg­is­ter first, some­times you will find your­self in a class with a dif­fi­cult professor.

This is also the case when it comes to required classes, for a major or minor; but, you can find a way to sur­vive, and suc­ceed in the class.

So if you leave the first lec­ture in fear or dis­gust, know that there are ways to endure this tough situation

Use the TA

If you have a pro­fes­sor whom you find insuf­fer­able, con­sult the TA for fur­ther help.  If you have a dis­cus­sion sec­tion, it can be a great way to get clar­i­fi­ca­tion on dif­fi­cult or con­fus­ing material.

When I took Sta­tis­tics in my fresh­man year, I could not stand my pro­fes­sor.  She moved through the mate­r­ial far too quickly, and her strong accent caused me even more confusion.

For­tu­nately, my TA was fan­tas­tic, pretty much sav­ing my grade in the class.  His dis­cus­sion sec­tion made the mate­r­ial under­stand­able, and his one sec­tion more valu­able for me than the professor’s three lectures.

Go to the office

In a big lec­ture hall, pro­fes­sors can seem larger than life.  But remem­ber that they are peo­ple too, not fig­ures to be afraid of.

All pro­fes­sors have office hours, and most will make appoint­ments to accom­mo­date your sched­ule.  Talk to them, because they want to help you.  Even if their lec­tures are excru­ci­at­ing, they are likely approach­able one-on-one, and it is worth a visit if you need help.

I took my first upper divi­sion class in my sopho­more year, and my teacher was extremely dif­fi­cult.  Her lec­tures con­tained more infor­ma­tion than I could process, and her home­work assign­ments were very difficult.

But when I finally got up the courage to visit her office, she helped me with the sub­ject mat­ter, and remained patient with me.  So don’t be afraid or intim­i­dated, because they want to help you.

And if/when you do visit office hours, make sure you are polite, no mat­ter how insuf­fer­able their lec­tures may be.

If any­one else has advice on deal­ing with dif­fi­cult pro­fes­sors, please post below.