The hardest part of college is the professors. You can have some who are strict, some that are really nice, and those who generally do not care whether you are in the class or not. It is even harder if you are on a small campus and you know everyone. Ratemyprofessors.com is a good way to decide what classes to choose or if you do not have a choice in classes, then it is a good way to see what kind of person your professor is.
Don't be afraid to listen to other students.
A lot of students will come up to you and tell you what they think of that professor. It is okay to think about they say. Just because it came from a student who failed doesn't mean that they don't know the class. There are a lot of reasons for someone failing a class.
The more students who talk about a professor, the more you will learn about them. Getting an iffy professor is hard enough for everyone. The thing is that you are not alone in that boat. If you get a professor that everyone complains about and you have no other option for that class, join together with your other classmates.
You will be surprised at what numbers could do.
Getting together with your classmates could help you in more ways than you expect. Starting study groups can help you understand the material more and get a better understanding of what the professor is expecting of you. If your campus has resources like tutors, use them as well. Most likely, these are people who have taken the class and understand what the professor wants you to do exactly. If you do not want to go alone, then ask the tutor if they want to host a big study group.
Ask the professor for help.
You aren't alone in having a professor who doesn't exactly teach in the way that you need. What you have to do is really work hard. It doesn't hurt to ask the professor to go over some material with you after class. If a lot of students start asking the professor for help, then most likely, they will start changing the way they teach.
Whether it is slowing down the lecture or putting more details in, going to the professor will change something. Maybe not in the way that you want the class to change, but it could hopefully do something.
College classes are hard. What makes them harder is not getting the help you need to help pass a class. Yes, there are professors out there who are difficult, but putting in the effort to make it work will help in the long run. Putting in those extra hours of studying, getting a tutor, getting together with friends, or even asking the professor for help can help you survive a class.