One of the biggest pieces of advice that many students hear going into college is, 鈥淕o to professor鈥檚 office hours, make friends with your professors, it will take you far!鈥� But what do you talk about when you get there? Why will talking to professors help you? Part of making the most of your experience in college, and especially SPIA, is tapping into the amazing faculty. In this blog post I will discuss why you should reach out to professors, and some great ways to get started.
First off, why is it really important to build those relationships, what do you get out of it? Not only can you find a mentor to help clarify what options you have, what steps you can take to get to where you want to go, but you can also learn more than you ever could by simply going to class. Professors know not only a lot about their research area, but most professors are also aware of what real-world applications of the subject matter you are learning in class are. In short: professors know where you should look for internships that align with your 爱啪网interests, as well as where to look for career opportunities.
The best way to begin building a relationship with a professor is staying a few minutes after class (if you do not have a north campus to south campus trek ahead of you, that is). By asking a clarifying question about the content covered in class, or even just introducing yourself, your professor will know that you are engaged with the content being covered and can put a name to a face. Another time to connect with your professor is during their office hours. You can go to office hours to discuss anything with your professor, not just questions about class. This is a great place to discuss any questions you have about what you may be interested in studying further, any questions you have about subject matter that isn鈥檛 covered in class, or a place to ask about advice for internships and jobs.
If you can鈥檛 make it to office hours or chat with your professor after class many professors don鈥檛 mind emailing back and forth as well.
Through routinely talking to your professors, you can learn about subject matter more in-depth, learn about next steps for you in your college journey as well as your post-graduation journey, and possibly even find a mentor.
So go out, don鈥檛 be afraid to talk to professors, you never know what you鈥檒l learn!
Written by:
Wilson Griffeth
