r/AskProfessors

Please read, because I didn’t know how to fit this into a title, so I just did my best with what I could.

I am a student with a neurological disorder, along with several other disabilities. Last semester, I was walking out of my TA’s office hours and had a seizure that resulted in a huge mess being made, as I knocked over a trash can on my way down and broke a mirror. My TA at the time was not from America and didn’t know what to do, so she ran and grabbed the nearest instructor from a few doors down. I come to a few minutes later, with her and this professor basically next to me, telling me to wait and that campus safety is sending someone.

At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I mean it was embarrassing, but I do lots of embarrassing things and have just faced that 99% of folks I interact with don’t see me twice. Anyways, fast forward to this summer semester (today) and I’m in a Gen Ed class being taught by the same professor. There are maybe 20 of us, so there isn’t a great opportunity to just like hide in the back. I had no idea when I signed up, I didn’t know who he was when I had the seizure and never grabbed his name. All this being said, should I drop the class? I know it’s not like my fault I had a seizure, but it’s such an embarrassing thing and I doubt he forgot about it, as it’s not like that’s exactly common.

I have completed my MSc in December 2024 and have done skill development courses and 2 volunteer research internships, since then, each with 6 months duration. Unfortunately I have to leave my last internship mid project due to both financial and familial obligation.

Since I am not allowed to leave home unless I can find a stable job, I am planning to do an independent short research project remotely, write a paper and submit it as preprint. It is a very basic research gap and will not have wet lab work or complex statistical modelling but it is in the field I wanted to phd later.

Kindly suggest, will it compensate for my lack of involvement in a long term project or be a waste of time?

Literacy crisis is all over my feed . How bad is it? Is it GenZ in general or GenZ men in general?

I (26nb) am a Bachelors student in an Education program in a small European country. I just completed my first year of the program and according to the grading statistics that everyone can see, everyone in my class passed.

I find this surprising because we are a large class, roughly 104 students this semester, a little less in autumn '25, and there were many times my classmates had no idea what was going on. This program is designed so we are all in the same classes together, 3 in the autumn, 3 in the spring, so I have gotten to know some of these people quite well and know for a fact some of them didn't show up to multiple classes, and attendance was graded.

Sorry if I'm starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist, I'm just wondering if you have a class of 100 students, how many are likely to pass? Is this normal?

Any advice?

hi professors on reddit.
i have some beef with my prof but i truly think it isnt my fault…

i’m an undergrad in my 2nd year, starting on research this summer with my prof. we meet on this platform(dont want to be too specific) weekly.
For context, we students rarely use this platform. Prof uses them almost everyday.
It was my 2nd time using the call function and he told me to allow the annotations for him to edit. I wasnt sure how to but i tried my best to navigate around it however as it was my first time doing it, I was also a bit confused as the cursor moves from the screen to the board and I was confused as heck as to why I cant see his annotations. So I tried to figure out how and he scolded me asking me to go back to the screen (I forgot i was sharing screen as i’m not used to it)
He scolded me and said “You dont even know what you’re doing” and “We just took 15 mins to do this” in the most condescending and annoyed tone ever…
But the thing is he didnt know how to do it as well because he had to google before he asked me to share and enable it…and i DID NOT spend 15mins on it. He joined the call 5 mins late, spent awhile googling if we can do annotations on that platform and the remaining 5 mins was me navigating it so i only took slightly longer than 5 mins but i got scolded for spending 15mins on it.

It’s not like I didnt do the work i was assigned to. I did my work, with effort. It was just a small mishap like this and I got scolded. The way he talked to me was to rude and condescending like as if i’m stupid as hell for not being able to do it…

In the end he just said we will meet next week and before he finished his words i left the call lol..

Is it really my fault that i deserved such a scolding? Is he not at fault at all? Why does he have to be this rude? He was a professor I really admired and respected so seeing this side of him and getting scolded by him really affected me quite a bit

Edit: Professors will ofc be on the side of profs..but i hope for a non bias pov... like i’m being genuine here i’m not attacking the prof or anything

I (26nb) am a Bachelors student in an Education program in a small European country. I just completed my first year of the program and according to the grading statistics that everyone can see, everyone in my class passed.

I find this surprising because we are a large class, roughly 104 students this semester, a little less in autumn '25, and there were many times my classmates had no idea what was going on. This program is designed so we are all in the same classes together, 3 in the autumn, 3 in the spring, so I have gotten to know some of these people quite well and know for a fact some of them didn't show up to multiple classes, and attendance was graded.

Sorry if I'm starting to sound like a conspiracy theorist, I'm just wondering if you have a class of 100 students, how many are likely to pass? Is this normal?

I am curious that how most of those who are teaching at senior level helped themselves to improve? What are your life lessons or tips which can help new generation? Mistakes, tips, advises, manuals or trainings which helped you become a better version of yourself? If you can share it would be great for many of us.

Thank you in advance

I’ve been working as a Math & Statistics tutor at a public community college in the Chicago suburbs for 7 years. For most of that time the tutoring center was a normal, decent place to work.

Everything changed after a new manager took over. Since then it’s been going downhill fast.

Last September I was suddenly called into a meeting with two supervisors. They told me a student had complained that he “felt uncomfortable” during a tutoring session with me. They gave me a verbal warning. The problem? They refused to tell me:

• Who the student was
• What exactly I supposedly said or did
• When this allegedly happened
• Any evidence or notes whatsoever

I was never given any chance to defend myself or even understand what the accusation was about.

Then in March this year they called me in again. This time they said another student had complained back in January about feeling uncomfortable during a session with me in October last year. Again, zero details. No name, no date, no specific words or actions, no evidence.

Now HR is involved and they are treating these as part of “progressive discipline,” threatening me with termination, even though neither complaint has ever been proven or properly documented.

What makes this even more insane is that my own supervisor admitted in writing that the first complaint was only verbal and that they have no written record or documentation at all about it.

They keep hiding behind FERPA, saying they can’t tell me the student’s name. I’m not even asking for the name. I just want to know what I’m actually being accused of so I can defend myself. They refuse to give me even that basic information.

This feels like a straight-up witch hunt. I’m being punished for things that may not have even happened, with zero evidence and zero opportunity to respond. It honestly reminds me of those dystopian stories where people are accused but never told what the charges are, like living in North Korea or Stalin’s Russia. At least the victims back then were told what they were supposedly guilty of.

Has anyone else experienced something like this at a community college or public institution?

I am ready to talk to anyone over phone or email.

I honestly don’t know if I’m overreacting or if this situation is genuinely unfair, so I wanted perspectives from faculty members, postdocs, or senior PhD students because right now I feel mentally exhausted and honestly very lost.

I just finished my second year of my PhD, and I recently received a below-expectations research evaluation from my PI (who is a relatively new PI, if that matters). The scary part is that in my program, getting two of these evaluations can essentially get you removed from the PhD program. This is my first one, but now I’m heading into qualifying exams already stressed, anxious, and honestly terrified about my future.

What makes this difficult for me is that I genuinely don’t feel like I deserved that evaluation. I was in the lab almost every day, regularly attending meetings, discussing experiments with my PI, and presenting progress every two weeks in group meetings. On top of that, I had one of the hardest TA assignments this semester, and despite the workload, I actually performed very well as a TA according to both students and faculty.

Research-wise, yes, not everything worked. I somewhat agree that I probably failed to communicate progress in the exact way my PI expects. But at the same time, I consistently showed data, including failed experiments, troubleshooting attempts, optimization work, and new directions. I was still working every day and trying to move the project forward. It’s not like I disappeared for days or stopped caring.

What hurts is that when I asked my PI why I received the evaluation, the explanation was basically that I “haven’t done enough work” and that he expected more productivity. From my perspective, though, I genuinely did put in significant effort this semester. The expectation now almost feels like I need to document every hour of my day and constantly prove I’m working.

During that discussion, I even mentioned that I felt like I had contributed more work and data than some other PhD students in the lab, but the response I got was something along the lines of “X is doing good work, they’re just not focused.” That honestly confused me because I feel like I was putting in at least as much effort - if not more - than some of my colleagues.

On top of that, the lab environment itself has become really toxic for me mentally. We have a collaborative project involving three PhD students, but instead of feeling like teamwork, it often feels like everyone is competing to make themselves look the best in front of the PI. Communication is poor, people move ahead without coordinating properly, and I constantly feel pressured to prove myself rather than feeling supported. I often end up chasing people for updates, data, or information related to the project.

The hardest part for me is that this evaluation came without any serious prior warning or major discussion beforehand. If my PI had sat down with me earlier and clearly said, “You are underperforming and this may affect your standing,” I honestly would have reacted very differently. Instead, getting hit with this evaluation directly has honestly broken a lot of my trust in the mentoring relationship.

And that’s what scares me most moving forward. I originally joined this lab largely because I trusted and respected my PI. But now I’m genuinely questioning whether this is someone who will support me later during qualifying exams, recommendation letters, career development, etc. If things already feel this unstable in year two, I honestly don’t know what the next few years would look like.

Mentally, this has affected me badly. I genuinely feel depressed right now. I’ve been crying constantly for the past few days and questioning whether I even belong in academia anymore. I know PhDs are difficult, but right now it feels like no matter how much effort I put in, it is never enough. I’ve even started thinking seriously about whether I should switch labs or leave the PhD entirely because I feel emotionally burned out and defeated.

For faculty members or senior trainees who have seen situations like this before:

- Is this kind of evaluation normal even when a student is clearly present and working?

- Does this sound like a communication mismatch, a PI expectation issue, or a genuinely bad sign?

- At what point should someone seriously consider switching labs?

I genuinely want honest advice because right now I feel completely lost.

TL;DR: Second-year PhD student received a below-expectations research evaluation despite being consistently present, working hard, TA’ing heavily, and regularly presenting data. PI says I “didn’t do enough,” but I feel the evaluation came without proper warning and has seriously damaged my trust in the mentoring relationship. Now I’m questioning whether I should stay in the lab, switch labs, or even continue in academia at all.

Will this semester expulsion for academic misconduct negatively affect my chances of pursuing a Master’s or PhD abroad or getting jobs in the future, even if my academic results are good and what if i start fresh at another university?

It is May. Ever since April, whenever I see a professor or staff member I’ve built a connection with, they always ask me about my "next steps." I know they mean well, don't want me to be sad, and genuinely want to celebrate my successes—but it honestly ruins my day whenever they ask.

The truth is, I don't have any next steps right now. I have been applying for jobs for a long time and have found nothing so far. I really don't like admitting out in the open that I am still looking.

To make matters worse, whenever I do mention the job search, I always get a response like: "I didn't know you were applying for jobs! I thought you'd be going for a PhD." That stings even more because I actually had to postpone my doctoral plans due to personal reasons (debt and insecurities).

So yeah... I don't know what to do. Part of me wishes I had been a "backbencher" type of student so I could just disappear from their radar and avoid these questions entirely. It's getting to the point where I don't even want to step out of my room because I live on campus and am terrified of bumping into someone.

Is there anything I can do to navigate this? How do I handle these conversations without feeling like a failure? Or should I start being cold or something if this comes up (though that has a lot of disadvantages and I <3 some of them).

all final grades were due last night and when I checked them this morning I realized my professor put in a C as my final grade when I should have gotten a B (I got within the range for a B in the class) I really need this B is it too late for her to change it? I already emailed her but she has not replied yet and I’m worried. Thanks

Hi all! I might be getting an on campus job for the summer and was wondering if it would be weird to informally drop in my professors office to say hello. They said to stay in touch and that they'll be in and out of their office but not really sure what that entails. It's summer, professors need a break from students too !!! so I don't want to overstep or anything. Would it be better to send an email to say I work there now and would love to say hi, or just go ahead and drop in?

Does anyone have any tips for studying tips/guides for first year students in chemistry?

I cannot for the life of me understand or remember anything for chemistry and I don’t know why. I just find that unit difficult for me. My exams are soon and I want to be prepared for my final exam because I failed my midterm & I have zero interest in repeating this nonsense 🥲

Hi everyone,

I’ve been in industry for 8+ years (working remotely) and decided I wanted a change so I applied to some jobs one of which is a full time community college TT position. The thought of teaching and helping students has always seemed exciting to me.

Anyways I did the first round interview & it went well. I’ve moved on to the demo lesson & second round interview which is today. I prepared well and felt good about it. Then last night I tried to go to sleep and ended up having an anxiety attack basically all night (rapid heart rate/adrenaline) unable to sleep at all.

Now because of this reaction I’m questioning if this career would be a good fit for me or not just due to the level of anxiety I felt.. I’ve always been naturally introverted and anxious when presenting in front of people but never to this level of not being able to sleep/anxiety attack all night for hours. I think working remote/isolated for so long has exacerbated my anxiety levels.

I guess what I’m asking is have any of you felt the same/been very anxious people & been able to push through that anxiety to teach/lecture your courses? Does it get easier? It also doesn’t help that I have 0 teaching experience so this is all new to me & a huge change compared to being remote behind a screen.

Thanks

Hello everyone! So I am graduating tomorrow which is crazy to say, but I noticed that one course grade is missing from my overall report. I believe, at least at my university, professors had to have had grades in by last Friday. Of course I know life happens for us all. With that in mind, I'm wondering if it's just taking the Professor a little bit to get the grade in. I know I did all the work for the course, so I'm not sure if I should send an email asking if I'm missing anything that I perhaps didn't catch? Regardless, I know my university will let me walk in commencement anyway, I'm not too concerned about that, I'm just not sure what to do in this specific situation. Any advice would be appreciated!

I think I have some of the best law professors. I am super appreciative of them and would like to express my gratitude. I have two more years at the school and will likely take some professors again. Is there a professional way to send a thank you note, expressing gratitude, and what I enjoyed about their class? Should I wait until the end of law school?

I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, nor make it seem like flattery. I genuinely think they have a difficult job and want to acknowledge their dedication. Any insight would be helpful! Thank you.

I'm an incoming university student and I've heard that you could get a second or third bachelor degree if you want.

So I'm curious how long does it take to get a second or third bachelor's degree? , because I know a bachelor's degree takes at least 4-5 years.

I know that usually it’s not, and I truly am not the kind of person to beg for an A or something like that. However, this is an instance where I feel like it might be warranted?

For some context, this is a super small (~12 person) psychology seminar and I’m a psych major. I’d taken two classes with this same professor before, and gotten A’s in both.

I got an A- in the class, which I would be fine with normally — I know it’s a good grade! But, I’m confused as to why exactly I got the A-. For this class, 80% of our grade was determined by five papers we handed in over the course of the semester, and 20% was participation. We got the first paper back after about two weeks, and I got great feedback on it, so when I went to write my second paper, I tried to keep what the professor had praised while still exploring some new ideas. Here’s the thing, though: we didn’t get the second, third, fourth, or fifth paper back. The professor had told us that she’d get the grade for the second paper back to us toward the end of the semester, and to please give her some grace because it was a tough time for her, but we didn’t end up getting that paper back at all. So ultimately, the only feedback I had over the course of the whole semester was one essay, which was pretty universally positive.

I always did the reading and did my best to participate a handful of times every class. I won’t pretend like my understanding of things was always perfect, or that I was paying 100% attention 100% of the time, but I did really put my best foot forward, took notes, tried hard on the papers, and really learned something from the class. I feel like i put in more effort, and became a better writer and thinker compared to the two times I’ve had this professor in the past. I even had a couple conversations with her after class, and she always had lovely things to say about me, and even said I would make a good professor myself.

I know that I’m not owed an A and that professors have all sorts of mental calculus going on — I really just want to know whether it would be worth it to email the professor asking about the grade, or if it would be seen as grade grubbing. I won’t lie and say that I wouldn’t be happy if the professor decided to change my grade to an A, but I’m mostly just surprised and hoping to get some clarity.