How to Deal With Difficult Professors or Instructors
# How to Deal With Difficult Professors or Instructors
At some point in your academic or professional development, you will encounter an instructor who makes your life harder. Maybe they grade harshly, explain concepts poorly, move too fast, seem unapproachable, or have a teaching style that does not match how you learn. It is frustrating, and it can feel like the entire class is stacked against you.
But difficult instructors are not a dead end. With the right mindset and strategies, you can navigate even the toughest class and come out with the knowledge and grade you need.
Separate the Person From the Problem
The first step is to get honest about what specifically is difficult. "This professor is terrible" is a feeling, not a diagnosis. Pinpoint the actual issue:
- Is the material genuinely confusing, or is the teaching style the problem?
- Are the expectations unclear, or are they clear but very high?
- Is the instructor disorganized, or are you struggling to keep up with the pace?
- Is there a personality clash, or is the instructor challenging everyone equally?
This distinction matters because different problems require different solutions. If the material is hard, you need better study strategies. If the teaching style does not work for you, you need supplementary resources. If expectations are unclear, you need to seek clarification proactively.
Go to Office Hours
This is the single most underused resource in education. Office hours exist for exactly this situation, yet most students never attend them. According to a survey by the National Survey of Student Engagement, the majority of college students report never visiting a professor during office hours.
Going to office hours does several things:
- You get personalized help. A one-on-one conversation can clarify what 50 minutes of lecture could not.
- You demonstrate effort. Professors are more likely to give the benefit of the doubt to students who show they are trying.
- You build a relationship. Many "difficult" professors are simply reserved or formal in the classroom but perfectly approachable in their office.
- You learn what they value. Understanding a professor's priorities helps you tailor your work to their expectations.
Come prepared. Do not show up and say "I don't get it." Instead, try: "I understood the concept of X, but I'm struggling with how it connects to Y. Can you help me see that link?" This shows you have done the work and need targeted guidance, not a redo of the entire lecture.
Adjust Your Study Approach
If a professor's teaching style does not work for you, waiting for them to change is not a strategy. Adapt your approach instead.
When the Lectures Are Unclear
- Read the textbook or supplementary materials before class. Going in with a baseline understanding helps you follow along even when the explanation is not great.
- Watch videos on the same topics from other instructors. Platforms like Khan Academy, Coursera, and YouTube have thousands of explanations of nearly every academic subject.
- Form a study group with classmates who may understand different parts of the material. Peer explanations often click when a professor's do not.
When the Pace Is Too Fast
- Record lectures (with permission) so you can review them at your own speed.
- Focus on understanding key concepts during class rather than trying to write down every word. You can fill in details later from the textbook.
- Meet with the professor or a TA to go over material you could not absorb in real time.
When Grading Seems Unfair
- Review the rubric carefully before each assignment. If there is no rubric, ask for one.
- Compare your work with the grading criteria, not with what you think deserves a good grade.
- Ask for feedback on drafts before submitting final versions when possible.
- Request a meeting to discuss your grade if you genuinely believe there was an error. Be calm, specific, and focus on understanding rather than arguing.
Communicate Professionally
How you communicate with a difficult instructor can make or break the relationship. Professors are people, and like all people, they respond better to respectful, solution-oriented communication than to complaints or demands.
Tips for professional communication:
- Use email appropriately. Include a clear subject line, address them with their proper title, and get to the point quickly. Do not send essay-length emails or passive-aggressive messages.
- Be specific in your questions. "Can you clarify the grading criteria for the midterm essay?" is better than "I don't understand how you grade."
- Avoid accusatory language. "I'm having trouble understanding this concept" works better than "You didn't explain this well."
- Follow up on promises. If a professor suggests a resource or gives you advice, follow through and report back. This builds trust.
Manage Your Emotions
A difficult instructor can trigger real frustration, anxiety, and even anger - especially when you feel your grade or future is at stake. These emotions are valid, but acting on them rarely helps.
Strategies for managing the emotional side:
- Vent to friends or family, not to the professor or in class evaluations written in the heat of the moment.
- Separate your self-worth from your grade. A low score from a tough grader does not define your intelligence or potential.
- Focus on what you can control. You cannot change the professor's personality or teaching style. You can change how you prepare, study, and communicate.
- Keep perspective. One difficult class in the context of your entire education is a small chapter. You will survive it.
Use External Resources
You are not limited to what happens in the classroom. When an instructor is not meeting your learning needs, fill the gap yourself:
- Tutoring centers at your school often have free support for common courses.
- Online resources let you learn the same material from different perspectives.
- Study guides and review books for your subject can provide clearer explanations and practice problems.
- Teaching assistants can be more accessible and may explain things differently than the professor.
- Active recall and practice testing tools help you verify your understanding independently of the instructor's teaching.
The ability to learn independently despite a suboptimal instructor is itself a valuable skill. In your career, you will not always have great mentors or managers, and the ability to self-direct your learning is a transferable strength.
When to Escalate
Sometimes a professor is not just difficult - they are genuinely problematic. If you are experiencing any of the following, it is appropriate to take action beyond personal coping strategies:
- Discrimination or harassment of any kind.
- Grading that is demonstrably unfair (not just strict, but inconsistent or retaliatory).
- Refusal to accommodate documented disabilities.
- Consistent failure to meet basic teaching responsibilities (not showing up, not grading work, not following the syllabus).
In these cases, document specific incidents and reach out to the department chair, an academic advisor, or your institution's student affairs office. Most schools have formal processes for addressing legitimate complaints.
The Silver Lining
Here is the uncomfortable truth: some of the most valuable learning experiences come from difficult instructors. A professor who grades harshly forces you to raise your standards. An instructor who explains poorly forces you to become a better self-learner. A fast-paced class forces you to develop efficient study habits.
Many professionals look back on their toughest instructors and recognize that those were the courses where they grew the most. That does not make the experience pleasant in the moment, but it does mean the struggle has a payoff if you approach it with the right strategies.
Do the work. Seek help proactively. Adapt your approach. The class will end, but the skills you develop navigating it will serve you far longer.