Office hours, what are they for?

Have you ever been to office hours? Do you even know what they are for? They can feel intimidating. Here are some things to consider about office hours:

• Professors are just people, some have kids, some have academic struggles, some are immigrants, we all have a story and maybe it is more like yours then you think.

• You can ask your professor about something from the class. But how? Don’t ask them to repeat an entire lecture but if there is a small part you don’t understand, like a figure from a slide or something they focused on that you might not fully understand. You can just say, can you clarify what is happening in this image?

• You can also ask your professor how to best study for the class. They usually have planned the class in a certain way so they can tell you if it is better to prepare for lecture in advance or review it after. They may have study tips or suggestions based on your strengths and weaknesses.

• You can ask your professor how they got to be a professor. Everyone loves to talk about themselves.

• You can ask your professor what to do with a major in XXX. Many professors are happy to help you navigate other classes in the department and help you plan your degree.

• The more you come and talk to them, the more likely they can be come your mentor. Someone you can come back to when you need help or when you need a letter of recommendation. The better a professor know you more they can say about you in a letter.

Just go try it out. It cant hurt and it might help.