Sometimes it seems that fair professors are a dying breed. Of course, that’s not exactly true, but certain educators are so unreasonable they make you forget about the rational ones.

Redditor u/videoresume recently told the ‘Mildly Infuriating‘ community about having to deal with a somewhat preposterous faculty member. The student submitted their assignment with time to spare and still had points deducted for being late. The professor came back with an absurd answer, which created quite a buzz in the comment section.

Some unfair professors make studying even harder than it is, especially when it comes to deadlines

Image source: Tim Gouw (not the actual photo)

This student submitted their assignment on time yet the professor deducted points for being late nevertheless

Image source: videoresume

Professors can greatly influence their students, and it’s up to them to decide whether they do it in a positive or negative way

Image source: Vanessa Garcia (not the actual photo)

It’s professors like this that make things harder than they have to be for those in school. Taking the points off was unfair at best, and surely didn’t help their interpersonal relationship. Lecturers can greatly influence their students, which makes it all the more important to be reasonable at least.

In a perfect world, the bar should be set higher than that. Teachers provide more than just knowledge of their subject. They can also affect students’ views and values and provide a stepping stone for their further academic achievements. Sometimes one great teacher is enough to make you fall in love with learning. Similarly, a bad one can lead towards never wanting to open a book ever again.

That is why showing that you’re approachable as a teacher can make a world of difference. Research shows that only 28% of scholars avoid knocking on their professors’ doors during office hours. Which means the vast majority come to them with questions or in need of some sort of assistance.

Exam season is likely the time students need help the most. That is when the pressure tends to reach an all-time high. Statistics show that roughly 30% of college students in the US name midterms and exams as the main causes of stress. In addition to that, nearly as many of them (29.5%) admit to feeling high levels of stress because of studying in general.

Image source: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)

Another major cause for such negative emotions is the challenge the OP had to face—deadlines. Nearly 60% of assignments are handed in during the last 24 hours, which likely means students have one of two things, a) terrible time management skills (around 90% of them agree that it is something they should work on), or b) an overwhelming amount of assignments due.

Meeting deadlines puts additional pressure that can cause anxiety. (And that is relevant not only for studies, but jobs as well—nearly 40% of people name deadlines as the main source for their work-related anxiety.) You’ve likely experienced it yourself; the feeling of a stomach full of butterflies, but far less pleasant than the ones you get after falling in love.

University clinicians say that anxiety is arguably the most prevalent issue when it comes to students’ mental health. Unsurprisingly, that can have a negative affect on their academic achievements (over 35% admit that stress surely does). Such data shows how torturous seeking an education can get. And the way professors contribute to it can make or break whether they’ll stick through it.

Image source: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)

As a matter of fact, 76% of students working hard for a bachelor’s degree say they’ve considered quitting because of stress. And when you’re already on the verge of leaving, it doesn’t take much to encourage you to close the door behind you and never look back. One unfair grade might be all it takes.

Luckily, data shows that not all hope is lost and such irrational professors might be in the minority. Nearly 90% of students agree that their faculty members grade them fairly. The OP might not have been among the lucky ones, but they did receive support from the online community at least.

People online had plenty to say about the situation and came up with similar examples to show how absurd it is

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