It always amazes me how many people don’t realize the resources that are available on our college campuses in the form of professors. It’s easy to want to drift through your college experience without getting to know your professors, but it’s just as easy to get to know them and, by proxy, open up a whole world of new people for yourself.
There are numerous ways you can go about making connections with people at your university. One of my favorite TAs who taught one of my courses has become one of my dearest friends who graciously invites me to the writing workshops she and her wife run together. Grad students can be great points of contact, especially if they are in your field. Befriending people who are a few steps ahead in the field you might like to go into, or explore more, is a wonderful way to start testing the waters of what might be out there for you. One of my friends got close with a TA we had in one of our English classes, and the TA invited him to a conference they knew of. Because grad students can also feel less intimidating than professors, I recommend trying to get to know them first.
When you’re ready to start making the leap to reaching out to professors, I promise you this: it is very easy, and although it might seem cliche, the worst thing they can say to you is “no”. Talk to professors whose classes you are taking in office hours, and bring questions about their work if you have none for their class. You can also just cold email professors in your major, even if you haven’t spoken to them previously. Read the work that they publish, ask if you can set up a meeting, and come on time and prepared with questions to ask them. Professors are so much more than just leaders of our classes — they actively research things, sit on committees and boards, and are incredibly educated individuals. Take advantage of your position as a college student and reach out to them with whatever questions you may have. You genuinely never know what making contacts like that could lead you, so make them while you’re here.
