Your Tough Professors are a Blessing in Disguise

During registration season at the end of each semester, sites like RateMyProfessors.com suddenly see a spike in traffic. Students from across the country flood these types of sites twice a year to rant about their current professors and scope out the reviews of potential new ones. Many search for the elusive "easy" classes where professors are praised by past students for being notably lax and undemanding. However, if you only sign up for these easy classes, you will be doing yourself a great disservice.

Obviously, professors who have been condemned for being biased and generally unfair in grading should be avoided, but instructors whose former students say are demanding and strict should not be discounted. For one, most students who leave reviews on ratings sites typically only do so when they have a bad experience and a proverbial bone to pick. Those who have pleasant experiences usually do not feel compelled to leave reviews – that is, unless it is to deem that a certain professor is "hot" or "major eye candy," but that is hardly useful in determining an instructor's teaching style. Be wary of this fact as you read reviews about professors who practice tough love.

You will invariably have to take several classes during your college career where your professors will demand a lot from you. There will be abundant reading and writing assignments and project after project. And to top it all off, your professor may be one of the most critical people you will ever encounter during your academic career. All of this may sound like a recipe for a nightmarish semester, but it is actually a great primer for your life beyond college. The professional work place is often demanding and rarely "easy." You will be expected to deliver top-notch results, and typically to highly critical bosses. By digging deep and working hard for your tougher classes, you are preparing your body, mind, and emotions for the tough professional world that awaits you after college.

Your harder classes will also bring out the best in you. It is always much more satisfying to receive a good grade on something that you know you poured a lot of sleepless nights and sweat into than receiving a good grade on fluff assignments. You will truly feel like you've earned your grade and in some ways, even earned your tough instructor's respect. With hard work comes big rewards, and discovering that you really can ace even the most difficult classes is one of the best feelings of self-confidence that you can get in school.