jk_91

How much does ratemyprofessors.com weigh when you're working out your schedule? I find that there are a lot of good teachers out there, but it usually makes scheduling much more difficult because you're only trying to take the good ones. So how much does it weigh on you when you're doing your schedule? Would you make your schedule a little more unpleasant (in terms of time) in exchange for a better teacher? If so, is it really worth the extra trouble? I'd really like to hear your thoughts.

Justincredible

it depends on how well u know the subject imo. if its something you are taking just for a prereq and u know the information already it doesnt matter what teacher u get really, but if u actually want to learn u should find a good teacher. i remember taking 8am classes cuz i wanted the same teacher for microecon that i had for macro. if you think about it in the long run, you wont be able to sleep in late anyway so might as well make the adjustment now. a change in sleep schedules is a good trade for a better learning experience and grade

Posc

I like to run all my potential professors through ratemyprofessors.com, and in my experience(coming close to the end of my two year stint) the ratings are fairly accurate but should only be taken from a cumulative perspective. Individual ratings are often times based on very person specific experiences and may not necessarily reflect the general opinion. So it is important to get a broad base of reviews.

I try to organize my schedule to fit well reviewed professors, but not at the expense of keeping my schedule reasonable.

SFV2008

You have to remember that the person who got a bad grade in the class is usually the one complaining and giving the teacher a bad score. Keep that in mind.

sstory

i strongly feel the same way I think the only people that go out of their way to rate a professor are ones that had a bad experience w/ them, or ones that had a greater-than-normal relationship with them. Either way you usually get too extreme of a review--all 5 stars or all 1 star. Pickaprofessor.com gives you a better idea if you can find the teacher and class I think.

rshaan

i read RMP for objective descriptions of the class: have to take notes or not, have to read the book or not, weight of tests, etc.

eg: i hate hw, so i look for profs who don't assign any.

Dam Its Johnny

ratemyprofessor.com and pickaprof.com are both the sites that help me pick my professors. For me I rather have good professors and for that I have a real bad schedule this upcoming fall.But because I do it this way I've never droped a class or ended up with anything lower then a B in a class.

ahoo2u

Checked RMP.com for 2 years before registering & it's been helpful and mostly right on. If more than one person over more than one semester vents againstthe prof - there's probably some truth it. I try to get every tid-bit I can about how they grade and what the tests are like...stuff you can't get by e-mailing the prof for last semester's syllabus. Wish more people would post objective feed-back on the prof & course and less subjective stuff like "he's so biased."

fouxdufafa

i think that ratemyprofs can help gauge how difficult a class will be.

duogmeg

I think it's a good idea to check it; I regret not using it to my advantage in CC... got some *seriously* godawful teachers - which, after getting stuck with them i checked their ratemyprofessor pages and they had loads of comments telling you to avoid these people at all costs. -_- Checked it when planning my upcoming fall semester at Cal and I'm glad I did.

jk_91

And you still got into Cal!

NoMoreWait

I've checked it with the teachers i have now, but the problem is i blindly registered for my classes at orientation. I'm stuck with teachers with terrible ratings...the worst part is, i can't add or drop classes until Sept. 3rd. I highly doubt i'll be able to find anything better that late.

sweetnezz998

Ratemyprofessors.com is the best resource I have ever seen in picking my classes. It makes a HUGE difference. For my first semester as a Freshman I didn't really know about it before choosing my classes and got screwed because of it. The next spring I only would take classes that had high rated teachers and it worked out more than well for me. I honestly believe that the teacher will make or break you in every single class, whether you are interested in the subject, good at it, etc.

hudsonvalley51

What does "Hot", i.e. the chile pepper designation signify. My sister is rayed as a "hot" professor. My sister is a decade or so (and a few pounds) removed from the point where an individual is usually described as "hot," so I know it has nothing to do with mere physical attributes. But what DOES it signify?

SFV2008

That's what it signifies. That the professor is "hot". Some of your sister's students must find her attractive.