Get to know your Professor by Alex

Get to know your Professor by Alex - April 2016 Scholarship Essay

It seems simple, but it’s something that many students overlook. Your professor isn’t merely a person who chastises you for showing up late to class. They are more than the subject they teach. A professor is a resource. For that reason my advice to younger student is go to office hours.

What are office hours? It’s time is allotted for your benefit. Your professor’s sits in their office and wait for students to visit them. You’ll usually find their availability listed on your syllabus.

If you don’t understand the material from a lecture, or are unsure how to proceed with an essay they’ll usually advise you. They are the one’s responsible for grading your papers and administering exams. So it only helps if they like you.

It’s not only a matter of doing well in class. This advice relates to life after college. If you decide to continue on with your education you’ll need academic references. Your professors teach hundreds if not thousands of students. Will they remember you if your only interaction with them was at the beginning and end of the semester, probably not. If you meet with them and cultivate a relationship it’ll only enhance the quality of their recommendation. They’ll understand who you are, know the quality of your work, and be more interested in helping you to achieve your goals. This also applies to those who go into the workforce.

So my advice is, take an a few hours out of your college life to go to office hours. The conversation you have might just change your life.