February 25, 2020 at 9:18 am

Advising Tip | Time to Take Full Advantage of Office Hours with Your Professor

Eileen Schulz

By Eileen Schulz
College of Arts & Sciences Academic Advisor

It is week seven, and we are halfway to completing the spring semester. By now you have received valuable feedback from your instructors on how you are doing. You may have taken midterms or completed a project or two for grades. They may have even reached out to you through a MOSN email to give you a Kudo or suggest that you see them. Have you met your professors outside of the classroom? If not yet, then you should!

Office hours are an invaluable resource for your development as a student. Attending office hours can help you to do better on exams and assignments, as well as feel more connected to your professors and college. However, many students feel intimated or overwhelmed at the thought of speaking with faculty one-on-one, especially if they’ve never gone before.

So, while there is still plenty of time left this semester to visit your professors during their office hours, here are some tips to help you prepare:

I promise you’re not bothering your professors! Office hours are specifically set aside to meet with students. The No. 1 complaint is that students don’t go enough!
Remember, professors can share their own undergraduate experience with you, which may help you relate to them better.
Professors are experts in their field and a have wealth of knowledge to help you understand the material more deeply.
Time can be limited, so go prepared and be on time. Think about what questions you have or issues you want to address ahead of time. If it helps, write down a list and bring it with you.
Even if you don’t have an issue in class, it can be incredibly valuable to stop by and say hello, especially to those professors in your major. This will help you to build a solid relationship and possibly utilize them as a reference when it comes time to look for graduate programs or employment.

Don’t wait to attend office hours until the day before a big exam or paper is due. Go early and go often!

The professional advising staff in the Office of Undergraduate Student Affairs is also always available by appointment or during walk-in advising Wednesday 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. and Thursday 1-4 p.m.