“Take the professor, not the class” (college adage)

“Choose/Pick/Select/Take the professor, not the class” is a popular college saying. A good professor can make any subject interesting, but a bad professor can make any subject difficult to understand. “Take the professor, not the class” has been cited in print since at least January 2008. It’s not known where the saying originated.
 
 
Life of a Part-Time Law Student
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Finals are never just that
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5. Take the Professor, not the Class - This is a piece of advice handed down to a classmate from an upperclassman, and it is so true. Relying too much on commercial outlines or other sources than your class notes will be certain death. Each professor has his own “baby” that you should pay special attention to (for example, my torts professor was a products liability guru and is very big on public policy - things the casebook and outlines hardly went into).
   
Google Books
Evoking Genocide:
Scholars and Activists Describe the Works that Shaped Their Lives
By Adam Jones
Toronto: Key Publishing House
2009
Pg. 230:
Whoever said, “Take the professor, not the class,” might have been referring to this young, fiercely committed educator.
   
College to Careers
The Importance of Picking the Right Professor
Published on Thursday, February 10th, 2011 by Caroline Category
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You take the professor, not the class!
“You take the professor, not the class” is common saying you hear in college campuses when the time to register for classes approaches. So what exactly does this mean? Why is it so important to research the professors that are teaching the course? Different professors have different teaching styles and different students have different learning needs. It is important to assess how you learn. Are you a visual learner? Do you learn by doing hands-on activities? Are you an auditory learner?  Once you have identified your classroom needs, you should to pick a professor who’s teaching style and class structure complement those needs.
     
Th Huffington Post
Aaron Hurst
necting Talent to Opportunity: LinkedIn’s Meg Garlinghouse on Changing the World
Posted: 10/12/11 11:53 AM ET
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t brought you to LinkedIn?
My dad in college told me to take the professor, not the class. And that’s definitely the way I’ve approached my professional life. I’ve looked for companies whose values were aligned with my values, and less the specific job. And I’ve been fortunate enough to find jobs where I really believe in the executive leadership and the vision the company has.
 
The Wall Street Journal—The Accelerators blog
May 22, 2013, 8:30 AM
Ben Baldwin: Pick the Professor, Not the Class
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When I asked Scott Cook, co-founder of Intuit, who I should look to for advice — whether for our open board position, or personal mentorship — he provided me with some critical guidance. He told me, “Choose the prof, not the course. Make it someone who’s advice you cannot live without.”
   
LIVING in the NEXT
Take the Professor, Not the Class
Posted on June 4, 2013
At the end of this interview in the NY Times, Brad Garlinghouse gives career advice about picking a job by the leader(s) you’ll be working with – not the work you’ll be doing.
 
That’s a great flip on the “hire for passion, not experience” idea.  As leaders, we think about what characteristics we are looking for – and assume that the interviewee is not thinking along those lines at all, only about the job.  That’s a mistake.
 
Vair Blog
Jun 24, 2013
Online Financial Modeling Courses vs. Live Courses
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As the old college saying goes, “don’t take the class, take the professor”. We all knew who the best professors were in school and we did our damndest to get into their classes. The nuances of a teaching style highlight the instructor’s knowledge while some of the most vital lessons learned during a live course may occur over a lunch break; that’s the beauty of learning in-person. 
 
Twitter
Victor Hernandez‏
@VictorH17939  
#career & #classroom advice “take the professor, not the class” Three Quick Rules: Be In, Be Real and Be Bold http://nyti.ms/189p3q5
10:10 AM - 22 Jul 13