Reading andromacha's journal

I was considering writing this in the section of the forum called "what sucks", but then I thought that I would just post it in my journal, and let the moderators move it if that were the case.

It is not even something that might pertain to everybody, at least not exactly what I am about to write, but it might to a general degree.
My problem is called Germanic philology, or probably even better, my Germanic philology's professor.

I have really enjoyed this course, even thought the subject is very complex, and you really have to study it very carefully to fully understand it and to actually know something. All the topics are somewhat related to each other, and therefore if you don't understand something, you're likely not to understand what follows. I am talking about linguistic traits of the old German, old English and the other Germanic languages (different from the romance languages like Italian, French, Spanish...).
Anyway, I am not going to go in the details here. I will just give you facts.

Our professor - at least he was honest when at the beginning of the course said this - said that at the exam he will put in front of us a germanic word (like an old English one, or an old German one). If we fail to explain in a detailed way all the passages that have occurred for the old form to transform in the modern one, he will fail us. No more questions... You mess up with that one question and you are screwed.

Well, this guy also hate women, and has the bad habit of insulting people at the exam in case they say something that is indeed wrong. He used to be very mean, and say bad things about girls even in class. When this year we didn't hear any of the usual bad jokes/insults we thought that he was somewhat changed. The truth is that now he's more careful, because he's afraid that someone records the lesson, and then use it against him. So whatever it is not said during class, is normally said at the exam.

Last session I went there to listen to the exams, just to realize if it was actually that bad. It wasn't that bad... worse! He failed 4 people out of 5, because according to him they couldn't reply well to that first question... guess what? The only one who passed (with the minimum grade) was a guy.

Now, I really like the subject, I am interested in it, and I find it pretty cool to be able to actually understand the old languages. Though, this guy really scares me. He freaks me out... He just makes me hate his subject, and the idea of stepping in his office to take the exam simply terrifies me. And all I do is wonder... Is this right? Why there are people like that? They make you feel inadequate, stupid and they just make you hate something that on the contrary you are led to like.

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".

Does your school have faculty evaluations? I'm sure the administration of your school would like to hear about this.

Please contiune to vote AND post.

Does your school have faculty evaluations? I'm sure the administration of your school would like to hear about this.

Yes, we do. This is gonna be interesting :P Okay, we have two different forms: one is an optical one, anonymous, that goes to the informatic department, where they analyze the answers. There is a part on the rooms (like if you can see well/hear well...) a part on the teacher (if he gets to class on time, if his program is too much or too less in respect with the credits given for the course, if he's good at teaching... And we can give grades from 1 (very bad) to 4 (excellent), and then there is a second form that goes straight to the professor.

Even if the second form is anonymous as the first one, I think it is pretty useless to tell you that nobody normally fills it in. Why? Well, because we are all afraid that the professor (through the handwriting or something - we are only 30 taking that course - can find out who wrote what). Furthermore, these "evaluations" (and later I will explain why I used the inverted commas) will be used for the next academic year; there is nothing that the faculty can do now.

In three years of university, I have submitted so many of those forms, and haven't noticed any improvement. Like, if we say that the given room is terrible for class (there was one room last year, where everything was broken, and someone had even stolen the microphone), it is not likely for us to have class somewhere else the next year, as well as it is not likely for them to fix what needs to be fixed.

Now, I realize that I am giving a horrid description of the university of Turin, but it really is not that bad. So far I have always found good professors, who were ready to help students in any little things. And I can't say that this guy doesn't help us. I mean, I remember that we were one day late to turn in our paper (me and my group), and he accepted it all the same, saying that he won't penalize us.

For the record, I should say that this professor is somewhat honest: he told us what he wants; he told us his rules about the exam, and I can't blame the fact that he is strict about grades. Though, what I don't accept are the insults. I mean, who the hell are you for telling me (well not me.. not yet, but others) that I suck, I am dumb and that women aren't good as far as studying is concerned (not considering that he's saying that to a class where the 95% of the people are women ;) )

Today there was the second exam session, and this time he failed everybody. Those poor 15 students who went there... One girl came out of the room crying, for God's sake! I hate that.

Though, this guy has been teaching there for over 20 years, and I am sure that other students have reported his behavior (I know this for a fact too), but nothing helped... he's still there, and this time I will have to deal with him. I hope that in May, if I have enough courage, and after having studied for several months, I will try to go and take the exam. I will accept any grade really (the lowest and the highest grades are discarded when it comes to gpa here), because I feel like the important thing is just passing it, at least this one.

*Sigh* This is my sad story so far. I will keep you posted :(

Un bacio è un'apostrofo rosa scritto tra le parole "ti amo".