Dear Advise Me,

Is there really a rule about how long students have to wait in the classroom if the professor is late getting to class? This happened to me last week, and one of the other students in the class said that if the professor has a PhD, we have to wait at least 20 minutes, but if the professor doesn’t, we only have to wait 15 minutes. Is this true, and how am I supposed to know the difference?

Waiting to Leave

Dear Waiting,

The rule your classmate quoted is another college myth. Professors run into the same bad luck and delays (traffic, trains, broken copy machines, illnesses and emergencies) as students, so try to be patient. It is unfortunate that your professor was late, but I feel sure you will discover that this rarely happens. There isn’t an official policy on the amount of time a class must wait for a professor to arrive, and it doesn’t matter whether you are waiting for Dr. Smith or Miss Jones. Some professors set their own policies regarding attendance, and they will include this information in the course syllabus. If this information isn’t covered in your syllabus, it might be a good idea to ask your professor about his/her policy, just to be safe. Should this ever happen to you again, I would advise that after ten minutes, someone from the class should either call or, if it’s close to your classroom, go to departmental office of the professor for more information. If you can’t find out anything there, then it is up to you when you leave. For example, Dr. Charlie Gagen, Head of the Biological Sciences Department, says that he would expect his students to wait at least 20-30 minutes. This may not be true for all professors, but it is a reasonable amount of time to wait. If you are aiming for an A in the class, you might want to use the free time constructively by remaining in the classroom to read or review past notes. When your professor arrives, he or she will be so impressed that you waited.

Advise Me

Dear Advise Me,

I’m a new freshman this year, and some of my friends have been talking about a mandatory freshman orientation course they were required to take. I’m not enrolled in this course. What should I do? Is it too late to add this course to my schedule, since it is required?

Concerned About Mandatory Orientation Course

Dear Concerned,

Tech does require that all traditional, incoming freshmen complete one of several approved orientation courses. Some majors have created their own orientation course like PE 1201, MCEG or ELEG 1012, BUAD 1003, BIOL 1011, FW 1001, or PHSC 1001. Students whose majors do not include a “major specific” orientation course must enroll in either TECH 1001 or CSP 1013. Since you are a mechanical engineering major, you are enrolled in MCEG 1012, Intro to Mechanical Engineering, which is exactly the orientation you need, so you have no reason to be concerned.
Advise Me