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“There he goes again,” you mutter under your breath, rolling your eyes at the student who just raised his hand for the fifth time in lecture. You scowl at the way the teacher calls the student by name. Who has time for college office hours anyway? Please, that’s just an excuse to get on a professor’s good side.
While these sentiments may be partly true, making the effort to visit your professors at office hours every now and then isn’t such a bad idea.
Jessica Lyons writes on Study that the student-professor relationship can “play a pivotal role in how a student performs in class and how he or she feels about his or her academic experiences.” According to Lyons, becoming friends with your professor could “provide you with an invaluable resource even after you’ve completed the course.” So for those of you who think it’s a waste of time to befriend your professors, here are four reasons to change your mind.
According to College Magazine, “Professors are among the most passionate about their occupation.” Kevin Ohi, an English professor at Boston College tells College Magazine, “We [professors] are passionate about ideas; it’s our job, but also our life.” Spending time talking to people who live and breathe the material they teach is infectious.
As a student, it’s easy to get lost in the stress that comes with projects, deadlines, jobs and extracurricular activities. Spending your time listening to your professor’s experiences and feelings about his or her field can motivate you or even spark an interest in a new topic.
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Even if a professor comes off as arrogant or boring on the first day of class, give him or her a chance to prove your first impressions wrong. Most professors want you to succeed in their classes and some professors even go out of way to help you succeed in life. If you’re having a hard time with the material, teachers are available to break down the information for you. If you’re failing in a class, many professors will work with you to come up with a game plan to pass.
U.S. News writes, “Most college professors share a number of attributes. They enjoy learning, which is why they chose a profession allowing them to read and research. They enjoy being around young people, which is why they chose to work in a college environment. And they, too, have been young at some point.” Give your professors the benefit of the doubt because they will most likely understand any problems you have and are willing to help you through them.
According to College Magazine, “Professors are old, experienced and smart and so are their many friends.” Getting on your professor’s good side can mean having an important connection when it’s time to apply for internships and jobs or getting a glowing letter of recommendation.
Your professors are established in their respective fields and are most likely friends with people who work in other companies, are studying different research topics and are teaching in different schools. Having these powerful, long-lasting connections is an invaluable resource to success. Don’t underestimate what your professors can do for you.
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College Magazine writes, “Favoritism is an ugly word, but a friendly rapport with your professor will undeniably play to your benefit.” When you go to office hours, you show your instructors that you are a motivated student. According to College Magazine, “When your red-eyed Brit lit professor finally gets to your paper at the witching hour of the night, she’ll be more likely to cut you some slack based on the fact she knew where you were going with it.”
Be warned, however, because professors, as College Magazine says, aren’t fools. The difference between being motivated and self-serving become very clear when you’re sitting in his or her office acting like you can’t wait to leave.
The whole “wisdom comes with age” saying doesn’t stop with your parents. If you befriend professors in the field you want to work in, they can point you in the right direction. They can tell you what internships to look at, help you look for jobs and even suggest which classes to take.
Not only that, but your professors are just interesting people. Even if they can’t help you with your career goals, learning about their life experiences and the decisions they’ve made in life can be inspiring. You’d be surprised to learn about how many professors got their bachelor’s degrees in fields completely different than the fields they currently teach.
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Don’t let that one student in class get all the resources your professor has to offer. Go to your professor’s office hours and introduce yourself.
