AAARRGH! (Trying to Tolerate an Incompetent Teacher) · 2:53pm Oct 1st, 2013
*Begin rant*
My Mechanisms teacher makes it really hard to Love and Tolerate. I just got my test back and lost my chance at an A due to HER incompetence. The first problem I missed because the picture she gave us was grainy, tiny, and made no sense. The links shown, if encountered in reality, could not move, and yet we had to calculate the maximum distance it could move. It turned out she gave us a compilation picture of a mechanism at multiple states. Too bad she didn't see fit to tell anyone. Even though no one got it correct, she left it on the test and didn't adjust the grade accordingly. Thus, the highest anyone in the class got is 90%. Then came the problem where I got the correct solution, but lost half the points because "my logic didn't make sense". This is utter tripe. I used the logic on over 10 problems and got the right answers, and said logic was backed up by the book and by Cramster. This lady has never even read the textbook she assigned. Her exact words regarding the problem were "Your logic isn't wrong, just different". Then she takes a bunch of points off and asks me to "prove my logic". I walk her through it and she looks at me and says "I'm not convinced". I try to think well of people, but this woman is NOT AN ENGINEER. Engineers learn to apply multiple logical approached to solve problems, not following the same worn trails like a pegged elephant. That's where innovation comes from. This woman has no understanding of engineering or the ethics surrounding it.
People like Einstein and Hawkings had very different logical views of the world from normal people. In this woman's book, they would get F's.
*End Rant*
For those who don't know, I'm a Mechanical Engineering major. Sorry to those with no clue what I'm talking about.
That's tough to hear. Well, from what I saw every teacher usually has his style, hers must be "do exactly as I do, even if it's not wrong." I guess there is not much to do, except try to do what she exactly wants.
The best classes I had in my uni career (same major as you, incidentally) were the ones that gave us incomplete, insolvable, or otherwise impossible situations, and then demanded an answer. It really forces you to make the best guess you can from limited info, which is an invaluable skill once you're working. However, this does assume that the proff is in on the technique; it sounds like yours is incompetent by accident rather than by design. Just wait until she gives you formula sheets with errors in them, or forgets to tell anyone that what was listed as a three hour exam is actually a two hour exam - fun times. At least if you're on a bell curve then everyone else is screwed just as bad.
What are you focusing on (HVAC, oil and gas, aerodynamics, etc)? Are you doing much in the way of practical design work, or only theoretical stuff? Any interesting student clubs or internships?
Sorry for being nosey, I just graduated a few years ago and am still really into the school scene.
Oy, lousy instructors.
I'd imagine we've all dealt with that before. Not much I can really say about it, but don't give up yet. One mediocre grade isn't going to ruin your career. I'd say you've still got a pretty good chance at this, don't let one instructor ruin it for you. 
1388163
I plan to go into alternative energy. Wind turbines are awesome.
1387993>>1388465
Thanks for the support. I just had to vent a little.
1390059 You're more than welcome. Everyone needs to vent their frustration at some point, after all.
Strong suggestion: take your complaints higher up to the department head, or whoever exists on oversight. If your claim is legit, they'll put the pressure on the teach to stop being an inflexible ass. Might not get you anywhere, but you never know.
Either way, sorry to hear about it. Seems like almost everyone has to have 'that one prof' in their educational lifetime.
The way you love and tolerate without any problems is by the lack of fucks you give. So next time someone's got you down, ask yourself, "Why do I give a fuck?".
If you are more pretentious, ask yourself, "Why is this making me unreasonably upset?"
The corresponding answers should almost always be, "I don't", and, "I'm not upset, I'll be fine."
--TheRussianBrony