How to Use Professor Rating Sites (2024)

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Find out what you should consider when using academic rating sites. Discover the top three rate and review sites college students use.

Shawna Newman

June 21, 2023

Students that take the time to review have extreme opinions.

Teachers and professors help set the tone for your semester. Anyone who has ever had either a great instructor, a not-so-great professor can tell you that! In fact, one of the best ways to learn how a course will go is via student reviews—from someone who has already experienced it, a student who has taken that same course with that very same professor.

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But it is important to remember that your attitude also sets the tone for your semester. Reviews and ratings are just one tiny way you can get an idea of what your course will be like. Don let Rate My Teacher or rate your lecturer sites mask YOUR learning potential or teacher-student educational experience. Check out the following guide to help you know what to keep in mind while reading ratings and reviews, and learn what the most popular professor rating websites are.

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Pros and Cons of Professor and Teacher Rating Websites

Below are some thoughts to consider as you calculate your own overall ratings based upon professor and class review sites.

Most students that take the time to give professor reviews have extreme opinions of them, whether they are positive or negative.

Take each opinion with a grain of salt because such extreme opinions are often biased. Strong thoughts can be an inaccurate portrayal of the teacher or professor's teaching methods.

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It is also more common for people to write negative reviews than positive ones. Remember, you're just getting a one-sided story. Students who complain about poor grades but did not put in the work will not likely give a teacher a fair review or rating.

Everyone has their own idea of what makes a great teacher or professor.

You may have a better learning experience from lectures, while another student may feel like in-depth essay assignments helped them to learn the most. As you review reviews, be sure to also read between the lines; find a common census of the most realistic portrayals of a professor's teaching style.

A challenging course or professor with high expectations does not mean you should avoid a course.

The most difficult courses often turn out to be the best learning experiences. Similarly, some of the most boring classes are the easiest. One combo that you should evaluate in detail is a difficult course with a bad professor. Be sure to read all reviews—even better—talk to a student you know that has taken this course. The courses ranked as difficult with professors that also have ratings that describe them as overly hard or as unfair, should get your attention. Remember, a professor with high expectations is ranked highly in terms of being respectful and grading fairly, is not necessarily a class you should avoid. You may just need to work a little harder for your grade.

You will eventually have to take a hard course!

It is impossible to completely avoid challenging courses. You shouldn't want to, anyway - you should challenge your limits, instead! Challenging yourself is part of how you learn and grow. You can, however, pick the right types of difficult courses. The best strategy is to choose the right courses, with the right type of professor who will fit your learning style.

Look for comments from students who have majors related to the course subject.

Look for comments from student experts. These students will be familiar with the teachers in the course's department. Chances are they have taken courses with the professor several times. They also probably liked the subject, so their ratings will give a more accurate portrayal of the professor, sans the subject matter complaints.

The Top Professor Rating Sites

When you are ready to revise or create your schedule, be sure you take in all the pros and cons mentioned above. Also, consider how many students have ranked any professor or course. A one-star rating from two students is a lot different than a one-star rating from thousands of students. According to MakeUseOf, the three best places to find United States teacher and professor website reviews are:

Rate My Professors
Claiming the largest online destination for professor ratings, the site is "built for college students, by college students." According to their site, users have added more than 19 million ratings, 1.7 million professors and 7,500 schools across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Rate My Teachers
Users of this rating platform use a survey designed by education and psychology professionals to rate classes and teachers. Other students then use survey results to find the right class and/or teacher for them.
Uloop
This rating site allows college students to find college professors (and their reviews) by state, university, professor's last name, or department. A five-star scale allows you to view ratings based upon three qualities: helpfulness, clarity, and easiness; each of these areas contributes to a professor's overall score. Student comments are posted next to each rating, which helps the reader understand why certain ratings may have been given.

High school and college and university students should consider the pros and cons of sites used to rate and review teachers and professors. Ultimately, it's best to check multiple sources - to see what seems to be the consensus - as well as a professor's credentials and form your own educated option.

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