This is time when you can get individual, personalized help specifically for what you are having trouble with. Keep in mind that the professors are the ones who make your final exams, so what they tell you is going to be important. Why not take a few hours out of your week, get off Facebook, and give yourself an advantage over the other students in your classes?
Here are just some reasons it’s worth it to knock on that office door:
1. Make yourself stand out
Let’s face it. As a pre-frosh, we heard so many stories about how the student-faculty ratio is 1 to whatever and that you won’t feel like just a number. For most of us, especially those in big lectures, that isn’t always true. Most freshman general requirement classes such as Econ and Chemistry have upwards of one or two hundred students. By going to office hours, you can develop a more personal relationship with your professor, and he will start to notice you in class. Janelle Dorn, a sophomore at Cornell, said, “I went to office hours every week and after a while, the professor would come up to me before class and ask how I was doing. He knew my name and everything.” When you show them that you are willing to make an effort for their class they’ll be more inclined to help you when it comes down to crunch time.
2. More effective than e-mail
Instead of sending email after email, trying to get an answer to your very specific question, why not just go straight to the source? For example, my chemistry professor doesn’t even answer emails. He says, “If you have a question or issue, I have office hours and I’d rather just talk to you about it than waste time emailing back and forth. I’m really not a scary guy, I promise!” Most professors will be more than happy to help with questions about midterms, homework and just the class in general. Plus, wouldn’t you get lonely if you were sitting in a tiny office all day? They like seeing students showing interest in their classes. Also, if you are the only one in office hours, you can ask whatever you need to and can often get problem sets done in the time that you’re there.
3. Get to know your TA
If going to see your professor is still freaking you out, no worries! For most majors, most of of your classes probably have TA’s, either graduate students or in some cases, undergrads who have excelled in that class in previous semesters. This might be your best option of all, because they know how the professor teaches the class and what he or she might be looking for in your work. TA’s are typically easier to talk to because they’re often not as intimidating as a man in a suit with 6 degrees and 3 PhD’s on his wall. Also, their schedules tend to be more flexible, so if you can’t make any office hours, just ask them to make an appointment and they’ll happily accommodate you. Lynette Granacher, UNF 2014, says,“Around midterms, my TA would have extra office hours to help us prepare for the tests.” And if you still need another reason to go to office hours, what better way to get to know that cute Calc TA you’ve been eying during section!
To make office hours as effective as possible, make sure you take notes, have a few specific questions or concepts to discuss, and most of all, pay attention! Try going to just one or two a week and you’ll soon see that there’s nothing to be scared about, and your grade and understanding of the class will improve. And plus, you never know what will happen with that cute Calc TA!