I submitted my research and i was told that my work is terrible.
Hello to everyone one. I used AI fot translate, because my English isn't so good to describe all that I want, hope you will understand.
I need advice about a situation at university that has affected me very deeply.
I recently submitted a paper (a report/research essay) that I genuinely put effort into. Normally, I struggle with motivation and often consider myself lazy, but this time I tried hard and wanted to do a good job. I spent a lot of time on it and believed it was reasonably good.
Today, I was called in by a professor. The interaction was extremely harsh. I was told that my work was “a nightmare,” “a disgrace,” and allegedly the worst among more than one hundred submissions. The paper was thrown back at me, and I was told to completely redo it within two days. I was also told that otherwise they would make sure “the whole university knows” how terrible my work was. The professor described my submission as “a spit in the face.”
What hurt me most is that I was not given a clear explanation of what exactly was wrong with the work. I left confused, ashamed, and honestly emotionally devastated. I understand that criticism is part of education, and I can accept that my work may have serious flaws. But the way it was handled felt humiliating, and I felt powerless because I depend on this professor’s evaluation and authority.
Now it is late at night, and I cannot stop replaying the situation in my head. I feel deeply hurt, angry, ashamed, and helpless at the same time. I keep questioning myself and wondering whether I am simply incapable or untalented, especially because I genuinely tried this time.
How would you interpret this situation? Was this an acceptable way for a professor to respond? More importantly, how do I deal with the emotional impact of something like this, especially when I cannot really defend myself because of the power imbalance?