Why You Should Talk to Your Profs (Outside of Class) : The ...

Speaking with professors is a staple for the list of ingredients necessary to a good year for students, no matter what year of university you are in. Advised between trying to avoid early morning or late night classes, staying on top of your readings and getting along with your roommate, this piece of advice can sometimes get lost. Is it really necessary? It is hard to follow through with this key part in your education. Sometimes professors seem intimidating but it is beneficial to introduce yourself and make return visits. If you can make the effort to pay a visit to just talk or to get clarity on a concept, it will pay off in the long term.

Recently, Todd Pettigrew, Associate Professor English at Cape Breton University, wrote on the secret to a successful term for Maclean?s Magazine. While all the points of this article are beneficial to a great term, most are crucial to do within the first month or two of school. However, talking to your professors is something that can be done at any point during the term and is especially helpful for those who will have the same professor next semester. The two most crucial aspects of knowing your professors are Todd Pettigrew writes, ?learn all your professors? names,? and ?find out where your professors? offices are.?

?Though it seems old fashioned, the best way to interact with your instructor is one-on-one,? Pettigrew explains. Office hours are particularly helpful for classes with high professor-to-student ratios, which make most students just part of a large group for the duration of the term. Yet, this larger classroom setting can prove to be an obstacle when trying to get clarity on concepts, or if you?re looking for references for the future. Take advantage of the office hours as soon as possible and get to know the professor before a deadline, for a paper or a reference. The more direct conversation will also help if concepts need to be clarified.

In addition to the tips offered by Pettigrew, here are some reminders that will boost confidence before going to see your professor.

• They want to talk to you. Considering that most students don?t go to office hours, it can certainly make that block of time more exciting when someone does go to speak with them.
• They were a student once. They?ve experienced what you are currently going through. If they?ve worked in a field that you?re interested in knowing more about, or just think it?s really interesting, take advantage of the opportunity to ask them questions.

If you?re interested in talking to your professor but worried about making a mistake, Dustin M. Wax of LifeHack wrote on how to talk to professors. A key point that Wax brings up is knowing how to act if you?re visiting to chat, or if you?re visiting to ask a question. Both of these types of visits are helpful for building a rapport with your professor. When deciding how much time to take, consider why you?re going to see the professor.

?Be clear and concise. Unless you?re paying a ?social call?, get to the point quickly: tell your prof what you need or want and be done with it,? Wax explains. On the other hand, if you don?t have a question and just want to talk to the prof, make that evident. It?s important to try and pay a social visit, if even just for 10 minutes.

?Pay your professor a visit or two, just to talk,? Wax says, ?Build relationships with your professors ? at the very least, they?ll remember you when you call up three years later asking for a reference letter.?

So go out there and get to know your professors. Postgraduate education is filled with different people who all have differing knowledge from each other. If you make a habit to talk to at least one professor a semester, you will expand your knowledge as well as build a network of individuals you can call on for assistance or questions in the future. Using these tips will help make a good first impression and help you on your way to succeeding in each term.

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