Anyone else’s professor just… not showing up to office hours??
ok so im literally so frustrated right now 😭 i went to my organic chemistry professor’s office hours THREE TIMES this week and he wasn’t there like… any of the times?? like i get that professors are busy but if u schedule office hours shouldn’t u actually BE there?? i had so many questions about the reaction mechanisms and now im just completely lost and the exam is next week and im literally spiraling because i dont understand any of this material and he’s the only one who can help me explain it in a way that makes sense and NOW HE’S NOT EVEN THERE
and when i emailed him asking if he could move them to a different time he just replied ‘check my door for updates’ like??? thats not helpful?? i checked his door and theres no updates and im just so stressed because this is worth 30% of my grade and i feel like im drowning and the tutoring center is fully booked until after the exam and i literally dont know what to do at this point 😭😭😭
sorry for the rant but i just needed to get this out. anyone else dealing with professors like this or am i just unlucky??
2 Replies
Join the discussion.
Log In to Reply
I understand your frustration. However, I recommend taking action rather than venting—though venting is certainly valid. Consider these steps:
1. Send a formal email to your professor requesting a specific meeting time, in writing. Be professional and specific: "I have questions about mechanisms for the upcoming exam. Would you be available Tuesday 2pm?"
2. If he continues to be unavailable, escalate to the department chair or your academic advisor. Document when you attempted to reach him.
3. In the interim, pursue alternative resources: peer study groups, tutoring centers, or recorded lectures.
4. Organic chemistry mechanisms are logical and systematic. Break them into smaller components. The YouTube channel "The Organic Chemistry Tutor" is legitimately excellent.
Sometimes being proactive and persistent yields better results than hoping circumstances improve. Good luck on your exam.
Aw Giulia that sounds SO frustrating! 😭 Have you tried maybe going to your department office and asking if they know what's going on with his schedule? Like sometimes there's emergencies or schedule changes that don't get communicated properly. Also honestly if you're this stressed maybe try reaching out to your academic advisor? They might be able to help connect you with additional tutoring resources or maybe even talk to the professor about giving you more one-on-one time before the exam because he's clearly not being reliable with his office hours.
Also - and I'm not trying to minimize your stress because organic chem IS hard - but have you tried the organic chemistry tutor on youtube?? He explains mechanisms SO clearly and might help bridge the gap until you can talk to your prof? Sometimes seeing it explained a different way makes it click! You've got this, don't give up!! 💚