office hours/building relationships with profs Forum

[ladysansastark]

I went to a very small high school/college so this my first time with lectures of >80. Any advice on how to build relationships with professors? What types of questions/topics should I ask in office hours? How often is too often to go to office hours? For older students/alums, anything you wish you had done in terms of connecting with profs?

[cavalier1138]

I'd advise not being neurotic and weird. Don't go to office hours if you don't have something you actually want to talk about with the professor, which does not have to be explicitly related to class. You should ask them about topics that interest you and that you would appreciate their perspective on. You should act like a normal human being having a conversation with another human being who has experience in the field you're interested in.

[Leprechaun]

I got to know many of my profs simply by asking them to dinner. Probably helps that I was an older student (mid 40's). Had a couple come to see me perform in community theatre, had a couple come to my hometown for dinner and tours of my courthouse office, and I still go out with a couple of them from time to time even after I graduated in Dec 2016.

I've never understood why some students were "afraid" or "awkward" around professors. They are just people like anyone else. Build relationships and it can help you navigate around school as well as add a few new friends to do things with.