1.24

 My First Complex Analysis Class and a Rant about RateMyProfessor

drinking one and only one beer
when you're trying to Get Shit Done
is the key to success by the way

It was over Zoom because of the snow day on Monday. I really hope we don't have another snow day on Monday again because getting through this material with just a 3 hour recording just felt exhausting. 

On the other hand, I think I accidentally picked the perfect minor class to accompany my major classes? We're working with complex numbers in my Fundamentals of Sound Recording class and that's what Complex Analysis is all about. The review class for both of these classes has been an overview of complex numbers, which I actually wasn't that familiar with until now (maybe they teach that in Calc I and II at my college? I don't know since I took it in high school). 

Contrary to popular belief, my professor is totally fine. The past five reviews for him on RateMyProfessor have been 1/5 for his droning voice and illegible handwriting. The dude just has a Slavic accent, and the handwriting isn't perfect but entirely readable.

I wasn't really sure why he had those ratings until I looked at the courses the students were from: all underclassmen classes. The biggest complainers were all from Calculus I, something that most STEM students take their first semester here.

It's made me realize that RMP is mostly just a place where freshmen go and project onto their professors when they screw up during their first semester of classes. I looked through the complaints under other professors I've had, and this only confirmed it more. Even during my time as an LA, I've noticed that students will get pissy at me for things that are entirely their own doing. I'm sure that if I had a profile on there, I'd get marked down as being an asshole because I tell people to put ChatGPT away in class (which our academic integrity policy bans anyway). 

I guess that's part of college, though; learning how to deal with people you don't click with. I guess some people just take their frustrations out on the internet rather than trying to find a way to compromise in real life. I really recommend the latter. Life's just better when you start advocating for yourself in a way that'll actually make a change.

Back to real classes as well as my LA job tomorrow. Crossing my fingers that I got a good batch of students this time...

See you tomorrow! -G