Prof Rating Site Becoming Staple

Named as one of Time magazine’s best Web sites of 2008, ratemyprofessors.com has done nothing but grow since its arrival in 1999. The site allows students to rate their college professors based on easiness, helpfulness, clarity, hotness, and overall quality. It also allows them to see how many ratings the professor has received and view other students’ posts.

The Vanguard was interested to know how many USA students know about and/or use ratemyprofessors.com, whether it is because it has been used as a decision-making tool when creating a schedule or simply to vent about the unjust actions of their former professors. Out of 50 random students asked in an unscientific survey, 41 knew what the site was, and many admitted to using the site at least once each semester.

One student said, “Why wouldn’t I check them out first? The last thing you want to do is be stuck for an entire semester with a bad teacher.”

Even several faculty members admitted to checking their own profiles to see what their students thought.