17. “I’m a professor, so take the following with a grain of salt, but…go to office hours. This isn’t an unconventional tip, I suppose, but it’s certainly one that is underused (I feel confident in saying this based on my own experiences and those of many, many colleagues). Office hours can be really fucking useful. Faculty generally hold a few office hours each week where you can pop by and talk with them about almost whatever (e.g. class, coursework, fields of study). In my experience, graduate students are often eager to meet with faculty. Undergraduates, on the other hand, often seem to avoid office hours unless necessary.”
“If you’re not sure what you would do or talk about in an office visit with a professor, here’s a few ideas:
– Ask for specific help with the course (this one probably is a bit obvious, but still important). Literally no one on campus can explain the class materials better than the professor of that course. We really want to help our students learn.
– Talk to your professor about their research. This can give you all kinds of weird insights into the class you are taking, what interests the professors have in the materials you are covering, and just getting to know them as a person.
– If the professor is in your major/minor department, go talk with them about your course of study. Which classes are you interested in? What sort of path did they take to end up working in this department? You might also find out (eventually) if there are research opportunities in the department or projects that are looking for help. At my school, there are so many opportunities for students that go underutilized, and professors can be a great help in getting you pointed in the right direction.
– Just pop by and say hi (important: do this during office hours, not during their regular working hours!). If the professor looks busy, don’t tarry, but most of us really enjoy having students pop their head in and say hello. We are genuinely interested in building professional relationships with our students.”
