Senior English and criminology and criminal justice major

Some of you, but certainly not all of you, have had that moment when you felt kind of silly for something you did in class. Maybe you asked what you thought was a stupid question or had a semi-awkward run-in with a professor or teaching assistant. Maybe you turned in an assignment late and felt as though the professor judged you.

Whichever way you have come to conclude your professor or TA might think you’re ridiculous, do not fear. I have been a TA for a couple of semesters now and I have some information that could be a relief for those of you who worry about your reputations with professors or TAs.

No one cares. Really.

Professors who have taught for more than two semesters have likely heard a “stupider” question or comment than yours. They have seen more convoluted excuses for late assignments before. They have received emails with worse spelling at later hours. What I’m saying is, you have nothing to worry about, if you even thought you had anything to worry about in the first place.

Not only do professors and TAs have their own lives outside of class, but their experiences in the classroom have prepared them for whatever you have to throw at them. This makes them perfectly unsurprisable.

I make this point because I have had innumerable students start their emails or texts off with, “I’m sorry if this sounds stupid, but … !”

I just want to tell all of those students, “It doesn’t sound stupid! I’ve heard so much worse. Please just feel OK.” Perhaps as a student TA, I get excited whenever any student has any question whatsoever. Many TAs feel the same way. Professors, who are more seasoned and might have lost that excitement, have so much experience that not many things seem new or out of the norm.

The next time you feel hesitant about a question, excuse or any interaction with a professor or TA, know that no one is judging you and your interactions are welcome. For those of you who never cared, keep on doing you.

Margaret Zelenski is a junior criminology and criminal justice and English major. She can be reached at mzelenskidbk@gmail.com.