We know it, we love it, we rely on it a little too much sometimes. CULPA is a blessing and a curse, but we can all work to make it a little better.

CULPA is notorious, but it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. A wise person once offered me some insightful advice that I will never forget. They said that often, the only people who write CUPLA reviews are the ones with something to say – the ones with overwhelmingly positive or negative experiences. CULPA contains all of the extreme takes, so you shouldn’t take everything on there at face value. Realizing this changed how I view CULPA, and professor reviews in general. 

From then on, I made it my mission to write the most neutral, unexciting CULPA reviews you’ve ever seen. I am bringing balance to CULPA. In reality, most professors are neither incredible nor horrible. They are good at what they do. They teach the class, you learn the material. Everyone is content. Sound boring? Well, that’s the point. The boring reviews are the ones we need; the ones that put the extremes into perspective.

CULPA itself is already working on evening out these viewpoints, changing their “most positive” and “most negative” review distinctions to “most agreed” and “most controversial.” Populating professors’ pages with reviews that reflect average student experiences, even if they aren’t particularly exciting, serves the greater good. It allows people searching for professors to more accurately manage their expectations and make informed choices. 

As I reflect on my fall semester, I am preparing to write incredibly average reviews for a majority of my professors. Of course, there are a few that stood out, for better or for worse, but for the most part, my classes were uneventful as they should be. 

Is it even worth writing about these classes? If you asked me a year ago, I would have said no. I would have said I have much better things to do than write about classes that take up little to no space in my brain. Now, I appreciate the value of average reviews, and I respect the people who take time to write them.

So I urge all of you: write some mid CULPA reviews. Felt completely indifferent about your class? Write about it. Thought your professor was fine – not amazing but not terrible? Write about it. Don’t regret taking it but wouldn’t recommend it? Write about it. The world is your oyster. 

Photo by Bwog Staff