7 Lazy Habits Your College Professor Notices
Do college professors actually remember which students attend their lectures regularly? Do they notice when students text during class? Do they get annoyed by students’ behavior? Yes, yes, and yes.
Your professors probably notice more than you think they do. The smaller the class size, the more your professor probably knows about you. Even if you don’t talk to him or her that much, your professor has an opinion of you that is based on how you interact in class and perform on assessments. How can help your professor see the true you?
Avoid lazy habits that your professors quickly spot! Not only do these habits make you less likable, but they also make your professor feel less inclined to assist you when you need help. Convey the right things about yourself by avoiding these 7 lazy habits!
Lazy Habit #1: Asking obvious questions in class
Being engaged in class is a must if you want to have good grades, want to learn, or want your professor to like you. Paying attention in class also prevents you from asking questions that were already answered in class.
If you want to give your professor a bad picture of who you really are, just ask a question in class that has already been answered in the class period or on the syllabus. Not only does these questions make you look like you weren’t paying attention, it also annoys your classmates who are truly trying to learn.
Here are a few questions that signal you are lazy to your professor:
Is this going to be on the test? Regardless if you genuinely mean this question, this question communicates to your teacher that you’re just here to get a grade and move on. You have no desire to put in any more effort than you have to. You want check this class off your required course list, so learning or developing skills is not really a priority to you. You may not mean to communicate this, but this question causes many professors to label you as lazy.
When is ________________ due again? Unless your syllabus has changed multiple times, your assignments are likely due at the time printed. Asking questions about due dates before looking at the syllabus or on the online course page signals to your professor that you were too lazy to look up the due date.
Can you extend the due date for me? There are times in which you will forget assignments, but repeatedly forgetting assignments sends a signal. You didn’t work ahead or you didn’t communicate an extenuating circumstance came up, and as a result your professor probably makes a mental note that you might be a lazy student.
Did I miss anything important in class? You probably don’t have this intention, but your professor feels pretty degraded by this kind of question. Why? It communicates that what they’re usually teaching in class isn’t really that important. Your professors carefully plan to use every moment of class productively, so avoid asking a question that communicates they don’t do their jobs well each class period.
Lazy Habit #2: Constantly contradicting your professor or peers in class
Whether you’re objecting to a classmate or bringing up an example that contradicts your professor, be careful. Your teacher does want you to think critically, but if you are constantly contradicting people you’re sending a message: you simply like to argue.
Some people learn by doing activities. Some people learn by listening to discussions and lectures. Some people learn by asking questions. If you learn by asking questions, be careful that your questions come across as questions and not attacks.
Your teacher likes that you’re inquisitive, but he or she may not have time to stop the lecture every time you have a question. Be considerate of the class and wait until after class to ask your question or send your question in an email.
When working with peers or classmates, be especially careful not to contradict every little thing they have to say. They will get the wrong opinion of who you are. Carefully choose what questions you ask and think hard before asking. You want to make sure your questions sound like questions and not like harsh objections or personal attacks.
Contradicting others can also reveal that maybe you don’t know quite as much as you think you do. Your arguments may signal you’re a know-it-all who has nothing to learn from others’ perspectives or opinions. Instead of contributing to the class, you arguments tend sidetrack the discussion from the real issues at hand. Watch that you don’t form a bad reputation with your professor and classmates!
Lazy Habit #3: Arguing over grades
Your teachers are not perfect. In fact, it’s likely that your professor may make a mistake when putting your grade online. This happens, and when it does your professor appreciates you asking about your grade.
But, when you constantly contest or object to grades, you are sending your professor a message. Instead of investing your time into how you can improve, you chose to invest your time into arguing why your answer was right.
Your teacher is less likely to want to listen to you if you are constantly arguing about your grades. When you email to ask about a grade, your teacher assumes your meeting to argue about a point. This communicates your in this for the grade and nothing more. You have little desire to learn and grow as a student.
Lazy Habit #4: Repeatedly asking for extra credit
Warning: These ideas may sound weird as a current student. I used to tell my high school students, “there is no such thing as 110%.” Their repeated pleas for extra credit communicated to me that they weren’t responsible enough to work hard on the original assignment. Instead of working to improve their grades on current and upcoming projects, they wanted an extra chance to make up past work.
If you have worked hard to improve throughout the semester but want an extra grade boost toward the end of the semester, ask for extra credit. But if you know you should’ve worked harder and have been lazy throughout the semester, be careful before asking for extra credit (especially if you still have half of the semester to go). Some teachers are not bothered by requests for extra credit assignments, but many professors would prefer that you work harder on your current class assignments.
Repeatedly asking for extra credit often communicates that you are merely a lazy student who didn’t want to put in the work earlier. Consider whether or not you’re creating a poor image of yourself before asking for extra credit.
Lazy Habit #5: Consistently arriving late or being absent from class
Every college handles lates or absences differently, and every professor handles lates and absences differently. Regardless of the college or class policy, your lates and absences communicate something about you as a student.
Even if your professor doesn’t mark you as absent or late, he or she takes notice. Your attendance communicates your approach the class. If you miss multiple class days and make no effort to communicate the causes behind your absences, your professor may assume negative things about you.
Skipping a class or consistently arriving late can communicate that you’re lazy. If you only show up for test dates, your professor isn’t likely to want to offer extra help or extra credit later in the semester. If you consistently show up late with your Starbucks, your professor isn’t going to be likely to try to help you catch up. (Getting coffee is something you could’ve woken up earlier for or waited until after class to get.)
Lazy Habit #6: Not taking notes
If a student never or rarely takes notes, he or she is likely to struggle on quizzes, tests, projects, and presentations. When that student approaches a professor for help, the first questions will likely be about if that student regularly completes homework and takes notes during class.
You may feel like taking notes during class doesn’t help you learn. Students who don’t take notes often claim this. In most cases, these students haven’t given note-taking a genuine try before ruling it out.
Beyond helping you succeed in your class, note-taking is a way to show that you are engaged in class. You’re actively listening to the content. If you are regularly texting, studying for other classes, or scrolling through social media, you’re probably missing more than you think. (And your professor notices these behaviors, even if you think he or she doesn’t.)
Your professor isn’t likely to offer you extra help if you’re not showing that you are trying to listen in class. Make an active effort to remove distractions (like your phone) and take quality notes.
Lazy Habit #7: Asking your professor to make decisions for you
Most college freshmen would not directly ask a professor to do their work for them, but they often indirectly imply it. They approach a professor for help with a written assignment or presentation and instead of bringing some ideas they come with very little work completed. Their professors notice their lack of effort.
Your professor won’t do your work for you. If you’re having trouble picking a topic or finding a good way to word a paragraph, genuinely make an effort to do your work before asking for help.
Take advantage of the resources available to you in your class and on campus before clicking send on an email to your teacher. Look at your class notes, in your textbook, and at online class resources. Talk to a peer in your class. Visit the writing center on your campus.
Your professor does want to be a help to you when possible, but he or she prefers that you put in the effort to figure out an assignment before scheduling an appointment. If you show up having put in little to no effort, your professor is likely to label you as lazy and will be less likely to offer help in the future.
Does your professor notice your behavior? Probably. Carefully avoid these 7 behaviors if you don’t want your college professors to think that you are lazy!
