In large lecture classes with upwards of a few hundred students, it can be hard to build personal connections with your professors or ask for help.
Office hours are a great way to have one-on-one conversations with professors, but this can be especially difficult for introverts or busy students. Luckily, there are a few helpful tips for working up the courage to talk to your professor:
Understand Your Professor as a Person
Some professors can be intimidating, but it’s important to remember that they’re people too! Chances are, they’ll understand how difficult and busy a college student’s life is. Connecting with your professors on a personal level will help them identify where you might be struggling and better understand your situation. Just remember that they’re here to help you!
Be Prepared with Specific Questions
It can be much easier to approach someone when you know what you want to say. Going into office hours with specific questions will be more efficient for both parties. It shows your professor that you’re prepared and invested in the class, even if you do need clarification on certain material. It’ll also prevent the conversations from dragging on if you’re short on time or shy.
Make Time to Go In
Every college student has a different schedule with classes, work, or extracurriculars. But, it’s really important to make time to speak with your professors. Having a simple 5-10 minute conversation can be really productive and beneficial. It’ll prove to your professors that your taking an interest in their guidance and lets them know that you’re capable of prioritizing your education!
While it may be unrealistic or unnecessary to build a personal connection with every single one of your professors, it is important to advocate for yourself with all of them. Office hours are meant to benefit the students and are implemented for a reason, so take advantage of them when you can or need to. It can be scary to approach your professors sometimes, but they’re all working to help their students. Once you get to know each of your professors more, it’ll be much easier to learn how to approach them. Just take it one step at a time and be confident in your own communication abilities as both a student and a person.