When students come to college, there is a mixture of emotions going through their minds. They are excited about their newfound freedom and about making new friends and taking some cool classes, but they also have the sadness of missing home and their own beds. They might also get excited to meet their new professors, but also a bit nervous at the same time. Many students think that their professors are just there to teach them new things, and that office hours are just for talking about academics, but that is not the case! Professors want to get to know their students so that they can develop relationships with them and become a resource for anything a student may need during their four years here at AU. If you want some ideas on how to get to know your professors, check out these tips.
1. Office hours, office hours, office hours
It’s the first day of syllabus week, and you’ve gotten at least six different syllabuses full of tons information that is making your brain explode. While syllabuses are obviously full of academic information you’ll need to know to succeed during the semester, they also contain some other important information: office hours. While office hours are a great time to get feedback on papers or get help on an assignment you may stuck on, they are also a great time to get to know your professors better! Introduce yourself, tell them where you’re from, tell them your academic interests, and other things you think your professors might need to know about you. You may learn a few new things about your professors as well!
2. Everyone loves coffee
Yes, it’s true. Professors love coffee just as much as students do, so why not go to coffee with them? If a professor’s office hours don’t fit with your schedule, try and see if they can carve out some time to meet with you over coffee at Starbucks or The Dav instead. Although it may not be in their office, getting outside and enjoying the warm weather and conversation with your professors is another great time to get to know them; you might even learn that you and your professor like the same Starbucks drink like I did!
3. Read professor’s bios
On AU’s website, every professor from every school and department has a biography they wrote, talking about their general information, but also what aspects of their subject interest them the most. Take some time to read each of your professor’s biographies to find out what they’re interested in, and you might find that you both like the same things, such as a certain book, a particular time period in history, or a field of science. Professors love it when they hear that students share similar academic interests with them, and they can even give you information on things happening in the DC area relating to those interests, such as an exhibit in a museum or an author giving a talk at a local bookstore.
4. Read your professor’s books!
Did you know that many of AU’s professors are also published authors? It’s true! Many of the professors here have written books relating to subjects that interest them, and many of them are avaliable in AU’s library or bookstore, and even on Amazon.com. Reaching out to your professor and telling him or her that you’ve read their book is a great conversation starter; they can tell you all about how they got interested in the topic they wrote about, why they wanted to write a book, or about the writing process in general. Some of the AU professors who have written books are Professor David Keplinger (Department of Literature), Professor Lisa Leff (Department of History), Professor Eileen Findlay (Department of History), Professor Gregg Ivers (Department of Government), Professor Max Paul Friedman (Department of History), and Professor Despina Kakoudaki (Department of Literature).
5. Remember, professors are here for you.
The transition to college can be a really scary one, especially if you’re someone who’s new to the DC area. Professors completely understand and they want to be here for you! They not only want to help you academically, but also personally. They can become a great resource for you to explore your academic interests, help you search for possible jobs and internships, and can even write recommendation letters for you for jobs, positions on campus, and even for graduate school. Don’t be afraid to drop by professors office hours, say hi, and make new friends!