As the semester rapidly comes to a close, we’re all reminded of just how much work we’ve procrastinated all semester. You know what I’m talking about: those papers that you planned on doing on weekends — that is, before you received a phone call to go out drinking all night; those research projects that seemed so easy 12-13 weeks ago, but are now a “bitch” because they’re coupled with all the other tedious work that you’ve been assigned.

With that said, I’ve decided to burrow myself in the “informal study lounge” of La Salle’s Connelly Library to knock out a paper for American Philosophy. While this paper is shockingly not taxing, it has spurred some interesting thoughts that I’ve chosen to share; more or less, to be concise, it has spurred a reminder of something that bugs me about teachers/professors: their being in denial about not knowing something.

I mean, c’mon, there is so much shit out there to be absorbed, it’s damn near impossible to truly be a “know-it-all.” For graduating college, we’re given a degree, or a token of our commitment to adhering to the guidelines set forth by our certain department or school, within the institution. If you’re motivated enough and qualified, you can delve further into your quest for knowledge and attend graduate school. Upon completion of graduate school, typically, you receive a Master’s degree in something. Pretty cool, right? From there, those truly elite scholars proceed forth towards the ultimate title in education: PhD.

This schooling takes a lot of time and money, and, to be honest, I concede that those who’ve earned a PhD are truly driven and, to me, have earned their right to be placed among the elite in academia. With that said, however, this is where my problem lies with professors: when you deal with those “qualified” individuals, sometimes their ego gets in the way. Now, again, this doesn’t speak for all the MAs and PhDs that I’ve ever dealt with, but an amount large enough for me to seriously entertain this thought on more than one occasion.

Have you ever asked a question during class? Well, I’d hope so. If you’re reading this and you’ve NEVER asked a question during your time as a student then, well, you probably aren’t doing very well in school. Anyway, if you answered “yes” to my question then I hope that you received an appropriate, relevant answer. Unfortunately, however, this isn’t always the case, is it.

I’m writing this right now because I’m becoming fed up with the bullshit that spews out of various professor’s mouths. When I ask a question that you perhaps don’t know the answer to, it’s perfectly alright to respond with either of these responses: a) To be honest, Michael, I don’t know. I’ll tell ‘ya what, I’ll do my best to find out and let you know [or] b) You know what, I don’t know. That’s a good question.

I mean, is it too hard to put your ego aside and say that you’re unsure? I don’t buy it. Instead of trying to spoon-feed me some bullshit answer that has nothing to do with my question, but is lengthy, wordy, and proves that you have knowledge about something OTHER than my question, I would respect the professor much more if they simply said, “Fuck you. Don’t ask questions like that.” At least you’re being honest and to the point.

Again, I reiterate the fact that this doesn’t speak to all professors, as there are plenty that are straightforward about these kinds of things. However, to those professors out there in academia: please spare us the nonsense. We understand that you spent 4-8yrs researching and writing to earn your degree. I respect you for that. Just consider, for the sake of all of us, when you’re unsure of certain bits of information, to just say: “I don’t know.”