If you want to earn a high GPA, finding the best college professors for you is one of the most important things to focus on. A professor that fits with your learning style can help you earn an A in a required class that you might struggle with, while a professor that you have trouble working with can make any course more challenging. Keep in mind that it’s not all about finding “easy” professors, because what each student considers easy is different. For example, if your roommate is great at keeping up with homework assignments but suffers from test anxiety, while you are great at taking exams but tend to forget your homework, a college professor that focuses on test scores might be an easy A for you, but a nightmare for your roommate.  Likewise, a professor that gives homework every night and doesn’t require a final exam probably wouldn’t be right for you, no matter what your roommate says.

So, if you are serious about succeeding in college, here are some helpful tips for finding the best professors for you:

1. Ask students in your academic department about the professors at your college. If possible, find juniors and seniors with your major or minor. You should focus on open-ended questions. Remember, asking if a professor is “easy” doesn’t help much. Try asking, “What was this professor’s class like for you?”
2. Visit professors during their office hours or e-mail them before the semester begins. Many college professors post their office hours on their own doors; some have their hours posted outside of their academic department offices. You can often find their e-mail addresses on your college or university’s website. By talking to a professor ahead of time and asking any questions you may have about their class, you can get a feel for what it would be like to work with them for a semester.  Some professors will even give you a copy of the course syllabus so you can better understand what you will be studying.
3. Ask your academic adviser about the professors you are interested in. Your academic adviser will probably be more tactful than students in your department, since they are talking about fellow employees, but their views are very helpful. Again, focus on open-ended questions, not questions that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Also, if you haven’t worked closely with your academic adviser yet, this will give you an opportunity to start. Additionally, many academic advisers also teach classes within their department, so if you get along well with your adviser, they might actually be the best professor for you.
4. Work or volunteer at your college. This is more of a long-term solution, but it will give you an invaluable insider’s perspective on the best professors at your college. One way to get a job at your college is to apply for federal work study when you fill out your FAFSA.
5. Search professor rating websites and read the student comments posted. RateMyProfessors.com can help you find the best professors for you, but you have to use the website correctly. First, use the search feature to either type in the full name of the college you attend, or the last name of the professor you’re interested in. Searching for a specific professor by their last name is often more effective, since it will bring up feedback for all colleges at which they have taught, but can be a pain when a professor has a very common last name. Once you find and click on a professor’s full name, be sure to read all of the comments about them. You may see that you already agree or disagree with the perspectives of the students that wrote the comments. Also, take note of how many ratings the professor has. If the professor only has one rating, and it is negative, that could just indicate an exceptionally frustrated student that didn’t get the grade they wanted. But, if the professor has 20 ratings, and 19 are negative, they are probably not the best teacher.
6. Consider dropping or withdrawing from a class if you know the professor isn’t meeting your needs. On rare occasions, this can happen even if you follow the five tips above. Unfortunately, a few professors are just hard to work with, whether it’s because they neglect their office hours, rarely reply to e-mails, don’t answer questions from students, give quizzes inconsistent with material covered in class or the textbook, or are just disrespectful. Dropping below full-time or part-time can affect your financial aid, so use this strategy sparingly. However, also keep in mind that most colleges have different professors teaching the same class, so even if you have to drop the course now, you will probably be able to take it with a different professor next semester or next year. To be sure this is the case, you should ask your academic adviser, a secretary within the appropriate department, or another knowledgeable employee about which professors teach the course you are enrolled in.

By using these six tips to find the best professors, you should be able to build a high GPA, pass required classes painlessly, and most importantly, have a great college experience.