<p>Long story short, I’m in the process of working on a design project in one of my classes. </p>
<p>After asking my professor questions about the project, they proceeded to tell me I’m trying too hard with it. </p>
<p>I’ve never had a professor tell me this before, so I really don’t know what to make of it. I feel that this was a negative comment they made towards my work and effort. Am I correct?</p>
<p>I’d appreciate any feedback regarding this. Thanks.</p>
<p>Your professor may be trying to steer you towards a conceptual approach of the project in which case you would have to rely on your own imaginative ability to solve the problem. By saying that “you are trying too hard” he may be telling you that you are looking for many concrete answers through your questions rather than simply starting and finding some of the answers on your own. Or maybe he just doesn’t have specific guidelines for the project and its all dependent on your interpretation. Sometimes my teachers would simply tell me to stop thinking so much and simply do it, so this is what teacher’s remark reminded me of, although I may be wrong.</p>
<p>I am wondering if he really just meant you were thinking too much and reading too far into the assignment, but it came out wrong. Might that be possible?</p>
<p>I’d have been pretty unhappy if a professor had told me that.</p>
<p>my first thought was what emaheevul wrote, particularly if english isn’t the prof’s first language.</p>
<p>Most likely it means stop diving so far into the details and look more at the big picture, quickly get something together that works, and start writing the report.</p>
<p>You’re overthinking it in relation to what is required. He wants a square cabin made out of matchsticks and you’re asking him Taj Mahal design questions.</p>