Office hours can seem very scary because, in a class of 300 people, it is likely your professor will never know who you are (and may not care to.) In my first year I never once attended an office hour because I was too scared to interact one on one with the person who was of much higher intelligence than me and could hold their own in a class of misfits. Subsequently, I struggled in silence. I let my homework and assignments pile up and questions were left forever unanswered because I refused to put myself in a situation I thought I would find awkward and intimidating. After the fiasco of my first year, I decided that I wouldn’t let that happen again- I attempted to connect with professors one on one and get the help I desired. Now, this is an essential part of any class I take, and I try to meet with the professor at least once to solidify my engagement and enthusiasm for the class. With classes all being online now and professors hosting virtual office hours, I have found it far less intimidating and am hoping others will too. So here are my three top reasons why you should go to office hours:
- You get the help when you need it
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This is the most obvious reason to go, but it is by far the most important one. I find it easy to zone out in lectures especially if they are recorded or over zoom and I sometimes find myself in a situation where I don’t fully understand the concept or example being taught. I have also found that classes usually build on concepts over time so knowing the basics is essential and if you have reservations about your ability to understand those, then you definitely need to get clarification. Asking a professor about an assignment or essay you have coming up allows you to gain a better understanding of what they are looking to get from you and, in the long run, get you that A. From my personal experience there have been a few times where if I hadn’t had gone to office hours to clarify something, my mark on an assignment would have been significantly lower.
- Engagement
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Going to office hours has also helped me plan out a strict schedule and make sure all my work is done on time. The first time I ever went I got there and was asking a question about an assignment or test that was weeks away and I hadn’t even completed that week’s readings… I felt pretty bad for not keeping up when the prof told me to use the readings to complete the assignment.
- Building relationships
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Getting to know your professors has some important benefits. Not only will you gain insight on what they are looking for in their class but you may gain some respect from them given your hard work and putting in the time to come and see them. This is especially useful when you need academic letters of recommendation because asking for one can be stressful, but if you already know the professor and have talked to them outside of class times, it becomes a little less scary. Building those relationships has also motivated me to do better in the class and has been a wonderful help to me when I need an extension or miss a class.