How to deal with professors who hate you

Apparently, a handful of folks have found Ask an Advisor by searching "how to deal with professors who hate you" and landing on the things professors hate post... Well, your need has not gone unnoticed, so let's talk about how to deal with professors who hate you.

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This can be a sinking feeling that you suspect your professor doesn't like you all the way to a professor being openly hostile toward you. Whatever your situation, these 7 tips can help you deal with a professor that hates you:

Talk it out. Don't assume that a professor hates you. If you really want to know, take the adult route and ask the professor about it during office hours. It'll be kind of like asking a professor for feedback...

Behave yourself. When someone is giving you grief, don't give them a reason to lash out at you by always being on your best behavior. A model student is much harder for a professor (even a mean, evil one) to hassle.

Make friends. Collaborate with other students in your class on projects and assignments (without cheating, of course!). Other students that your professor doesn't also hate, that is. It can come in handy to have students on the professor's good side on your side, too.

Tell someone else. If your professor is really hostile, consider telling a trusted advisor, another faculty member, or someone in the dean's office. Sharing your side of the story is a good way to protect yourself.

Document everything. Keep any notes, emails, and returned assignments and make a log of incidents. You need to have evidence of the professor's evil deeds.

Empower yourself. This is the perfect time to figure out what your rights and responsibilities are concerning professor conduct and what your next steps should be.

Take it to the next level. If all of the above steps don't help you deal with that evil professor, follow the process outlined in your research of your rights and responsibilities. This is the most extreme step you can take, so be very sure about it and have a support system in place to help you through it.

Hopefully, you never have to deal with a professor who hates you... But if you do, now you know what to do about it.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.