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Attending your professors’ office hours is a great way to set yourself up for success this semester. Office hours allow you to interact with your professor one-on-one, ask questions and get clarification about course information.ÌýÌý

Faculty members often appreciate when students take the time to attend their office hours, and they want you to do well in their class. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know your professors as people and not just academic experts.ÌýÌýÌý

Visiting office hours early in the semester and working with your professors can build confidence as the semester progresses. Here are a few ways to make the most of meetings with your professors.ÌýÌýÌý

ÌýÌýIntroduce yourselfÌýÌý

Even if you don’t have questions about the class yet, attend office hours to introduce yourself to your professor early on. This helps make future conversations easier. There can be plenty of other reasons to visit office hours later, like:Ìý

• Clarifying assignments or gradesÌý

• Catching up after missing classÌý

• Exploring topics in more depthÌý

• Getting career advice or mentorshipÌý

• Discussing class issues or questions directlyÌý

ÌýÌýBe preparedÌýÌý

Find out when your professor’s office hours are by checking your syllabus. If you have time conflicts with office hours and other classes, contact your professor directly to request a meeting at a different time. Be sure to provide times you are available and ask what works best for them.ÌýÌýÌý

Office hours are helpful for a variety of reasons, and early on, you can ask questions and learn about their teaching style to get to know them better:Ìý

• Do you have any tips on the best ways to study or understand the material?Ìý

• Are there any major concepts I should prioritize learning?Ìý

• Will you review a draft of papers before students turn in the final product?Ìý

• How does a concept we discussed in class relate to the reading material?Ìý

ÌýÌýMaximize your timeÌýÌý

During your meeting, stay present mentally to get the most out of your professor’s time. Here are some things to try during your meeting:ÌýÌý

• Ask the most important questions first.Ìý

• Bring any assignments with you that you plan to discuss.Ìý

• Take notes that help you better understand your questions.Ìý

• Be respectful and stay engaged.Ìý

• Set up a follow-up meeting with your professor if you need additional help.ÌýÌý

ÌýÌýFollow upÌýÌý

After attending office hours, follow up via email and thank your professor for answering your questions. If you have unanswered questions from your meeting, include them in your follow-up email.Ìý