Students tell you what Rate My Professors wont
Choosing classes can sound both exciting and stressful at the same time. Imagine being in first year and not knowing where to start?
Picking classes can feel like a rolling dice – some can turn out to be the highlight of the semester while others could be the ones you dread until the finals. I had an opportunity to ask around some business students at the Hill School of Business specifically about what were some of the best and worst classes they had taken till date.
After interviewing these students, I quickly realised that not a lot of people seem to go and read reviews on the Rate My Professor website. Instead, some students rely solely upon what their friends recommend, not realizing that some of these experiences could be subjective.
“The best class that I’ve ever taken was the kinesiology podcasting class with Matthew Degenhardt. Absolute beauty,” said Cade Falconer, a business student at University of Regina (UofR). “I actually learned a bunch of stuff. I had a lot of fun and I had a great mark,” he said. The hands-on course gives students like Falconer essential storytelling skills and the ability to apply what they learn in class outside.
Julcit Wuyep, a double major in economics and business, highlighted her enthusiasm about the economics classes that she has taken at UofR. She mentioned her liking for economics classes, especially those that focus on cost and benefit Analysis or trade. Upon further expanding on what piqued her interest in those classes, Wuyep said, “I loved it because you could tell the professor really wants everyone to do good [and] he doesn’t want you to do bad as a student. So, you could really see that love and compassion from him because there’s no point if you fail a class and as a professor, you’re happy. So, I really loved him as a person.”
Even with her more positive experiences, Wuyep has more of a love-hate relationship with economics. She mentioned some of the economics classes that she didn’t like due to the feeling of being left out in the class and professors expecting too much.
The best class that I’ve ever taken was the Kinesiology podcasting class with Matthew Degenhardt. – Cade Falconer, student, UofR
Faith Reddekopp, a business student who has taken a lot of classes in economics by now, said, “The best class I’ve taken at UofR is development economics because I just really enjoyed learning about the economics of developing nations and how things are very different there, especially how policy is so important there and how it can make such a big difference.”
Reddekopp mentioned BUS 288 as the worst class she has ever taken claiming that she did not find it as interesting as she was hoping to.
Khalid Salad, another business student said, “The best class I’ve taken here at UofR is ENGL 100. I learned [not only] a lot about grammar but also how to articulate my thoughts and words.”
Even though Salad is a business student, he found that he did not enjoy the 100 level business class very much. He said it was due to not having the best experience with the professor. With these interviews, one common theme that was highlighted was the significance of having a very supportive and understanding professor who truly wants to see their students succeed. The experience with a professor could essentially make or break their university experience.
At the end of the day, the best and the worst classes are essentially what you are hoping to get out of – an easy A, an unforgettable professor, or simply a challenge that pushes you. While there are fluctuations in this journey, it is essential to embrace the uncertainty and explore different classes with an open mind. After all, the classes you least expect might end up shaping your university experience the most.
