With new class schedules to be made, NIU students are using sites like Ratemyprofessors.com to find reviews of potential fall professors.

History professor Stanley Arnold has a total of 123 ratings and rated 4.1 out of five in overall quality. Arnold said he used the site to see what students have to say about himself and his colleagues.

Eneida Mendoza, sophomore sociology and psychology major, took Arnold’s History 261 class. She said professor Arnold’s tests are difficult, just like she read on Ratemyprofessors.com prior to taking the course.

“My tests are challenging and require more studying,” Arnold said. “I want the best for my students. I want to prepare them for the world, which can also be challenging.”

Mendoza said she always looked forward to attending class and Arnold’s enthusiastic personality makes learning fun.

“From day one, he let his students know what he expected from us,” Mendoza said. “My favorite part of his class was listening to his lectures. He knew his stuff and had gone through some of the history events he was teaching about. He asked for opinions and let the class discuss the topics.”

Mendoza said she used ratemyprofessors.com to choose professors since her first semester at NIU.

“The ratings on ratemyprofessors.com have been pretty accurate so far,” Mendoza said. “It’s just hard when half the ratings are good and half are bad. Then I just ask upperclassmen for their opinion. I think Ratemyprofessors.com is a good tool, but I don’t rely on just that for choosing teachers.”

Sophomore accounting major Larry Guerrero used Ratemyprofessors.com before enrolling in Management 217 course this semester with David Wade, associate professor of management. Wade has 94 reviews and rated 4.3 out of five in overall quality.

“David Wade’s ratings are accurate,” Guerrero said. “He is a very straightforward teacher and tries his best to make class interesting. He also gives good examples and is very helpful during tests. I think it’s good that students rate teachers because it gives new students an idea of what to expect before actually meeting the teacher.”

Jeanette Fernandez, senior hospitality administration major, said Ratemyprofessors.com is a good resource for students because it makes her feel more comfortable knowing a little bit about the teachers she will have before the first day of class.

“I love rate my professor because it gives me an advantage,” Fernandez said. “If I see a professor with a lot of bad comments, he or she immediately becomes disqualified from my choosing process unless he or she is the only professor teaching that course.”

Another teacher who has become very known on the website is professor Molly Swick. She has 90 ratings and a red chilli pepper. She received an overall quality rating of 4.8 out of 5. Although Swick has many good reviews, some students didn’t have to go online to see that she is a great teacher.

“I usually use ratemyprofessors.com,” said sophomore business major Adriana Vasquez. “I had heard really good things on there about [Swick’s class], and through some friends and classmates. I just enrolled into her class [next] semester.”