So you’re sitting in that class — you know, the one you’re only taking as an elective — and the professor starts talking about all the work you’ve got to do if you want to pass.

There’s a 10-page paper due halfway through. You’ve got to read 40 pages a night and you’ve got to prepare for pop quizzes. Oh, and don’t forget about that group project you’re probably going to end up working on all alone.

You know the class we’re talking about. There’s always that professor that seems to think his or her class is the only one you’re taking. Either that, or they just think his or hers is most important.

Even though it’s not even in your major. There are 150 other people in the class and yet the professor still seems to think you’re going to put aside countless hours for a measly elective course.

Professors have to understand that most students are typically taking at least 12 credit hours in order to stay full time. It’s unrealistic to think that the average (or even above average) student can pass an intense elective with a full-time workload while juggling a job and a social life.

We understand that professors need to do their jobs; workloads are a part of that. But they’ve also got to understand that this is the reason so many students end up dropping their class.

It’s an entirely different story when classes like this pertain to students’ majors, or even if the class in question is an upper-level class. The problem here is that so many professors expect senior-level work out of freshman-level classes.

So please, keep expectations realistic. Maybe then more than 15 students will pass your class each semester.

And more students would actually like you.