You might think your professor is a tough grader, but when it comes to teacher evaluation, students can be even harsher. The website ratemyprofessor.com, has been used by students in campuses all over the country in order to help them figure out their class schedules based on the quality and difficulty of a class. It’s reliability, however, may have been looked over. What was found, was that most students who get a low grade by the time the quarter ended, decided it was a horrible class, and therefore gave the professor a horrible score, making it unreliable for students who tend to do well in class.
So what is the best way to pick a professor? According to Chris Cary, a mathematics professor here at SFCC who has been teaching for 16 years and received a 4.8 on the RMP scale, the best way to see if a professor is right for you is simply getting to know their teaching style. “You know, the best way to get to know an instructor is to go talk to them. All of the instructors that I’ve interacted with here are open to talking to students,” Cary said.
The general idea of RMP is already being implemented into the curriculum of teachers at SFCC.
“We have a system in place here as instructors that we are required to be evaluated by our students,” Cary explained. “Getting student feedback is important.”
Some students, however, stand by Rate My Professor and use it every quarter.
Annalia Santos, a running start student, said she uses it before she signs up for classes, and believes the website is accurate based on her personal experiences.
While some students, like addiction studies major Ted Bailey, have never heard of RMP before, they instead base their class schedules around work.
“I just got done with an eight-hour graveyard shift and I came here for class,” Bailey said.

Cary believes that to be a good method as well.
“It’s good to have a variety of instructors, it’s good to have different learning styles,” he said.“That’s part of the college experience.”
Sometimes you have to muscle through hard classes or rough teachers, because that’s just how it goes.
So when it comes to picking new classes, a student’s best bet is to take ratings on RMP with a grain of salt, or meet face to face with a possible professor and see what their teaching style is, and if your personalities click. If you can’t do that, trust the faculty and know they listen to student’s opinions. So, if you have to plan your quarter according to work, high school, or life in general, don’t worry. Take a chance and live the real college experience, it may surprise you.