RateMyProfessors is a website that provides students with anonymous opinions on different professors at Grand Valley State University or other higher education institutions. The website is not affiliated with GVSU, but it can be beneficial in helping students decide what professors might be the best fit for them. Anyone can visit the site and discover multiple students’ perspectives on professors. However, it does not always represent every aspect of a professor’s class or accurately reflect their teaching style, so it is important to be wary of others’ opinions.
The website allows students to rate professors out of five stars and share their grade in a course. Users can also discuss whether consistent attendance is crucial to succeeding in a particular class.
I have found that students, including my own peers at GVSU, have varying opinions on the website. Some swear by it and use it every time they schedule new classes. Others say they have never used it and don’t like to base their schedule off of anonymous ratings from students they don’t know. Some people have said the site provides comic relief and is relatable to their own class experiences, while others find it plain inaccurate.
I believe there are both pros and cons to using RateMyProfessors. With the semester starting, it can be beneficial to hear the opinions of others before signing up for a course. The ability to compare and contrast the experiences of others is definitely a positive. It can help students find a professor they feel they will have a good experience with.
Personally, I like to reference RateMyProfessors from time to time as an easily accessible resource. However, I do feel that it is not always accurate. If one student has a poor experience with a professor and are the only one to rate the course, people searching for the professor could be led astray. This is unfortunate for both the professor and the student scheduling classes, as the professor has a somewhat incorrect rating and the student does not have an accurate perception of the professor.
The unfortunate truth that comes with using anonymous sources is not knowing how truthful each source is. Each student has a different capabilities in school and a different capacity for learning each subject. One student may find a class unbearably boring, while another finds it incredibly interesting. Each GVSU professor does not have the ability to cater to every student’s preference.
Additionally, every student has a different learning style. While one may appreciate long lectures, another may find it difficult to grasp the material being taught in long class periods. Each student is unique and has their own preference for college courses.
With a variety of reviews and anonymous experiences, it can provide insight to what professors and their classes will be like. Explanations of a professor’s teaching style can show students if they will align with the professor in various regards. RateMyProfessors should never be a student’s only resource for deciding what classes to take, but it can occasionally assist them in finding the best course or professor for themselves. While students should take ratings on RateMyProfessor with a grain of salt, the positives of the website prove to be a useful resource.
