Can I Talk To You?

By Mercedes Rowinsky-Geurts PhD

Getting in touch with a professor can be a daunting task. Students usually feel a bit intimidated. They think that professors don’t want to be disturbed, so they avoid them. Well, let me talk to you about something we call; office hours. If you look carefully in your course outline, you will find that professors have office hours. Those hours are for you! Some professors may seem happy that students have understood all the material and there is no need for them to come and see him/her, but most of the time, class time is insufficient for students to process all the information, so professors have ‘office hours’ for you to come and ask questions. If students don’t come and then they do badly in an exam, guess what the professor is going to say? “Well, if you had problems, how come you didn’t come to see me?”

An empty office during office hours is like planning a party, sending the invitations and nobody comes! Get familiar with the location of your professors’ offices. Pass by often. Say hello! Make sure professors know you. If you are part of a large class, it is very important that you make contact with your professor at least three times during the semester. Even if you don’t have any problems, go by the office to talk about a reading or a book that you may be reading. This shows your commitment to the subject and it proves that you care.
If you are having problems with the material or if you have some problems at work, or any other impediment that prevents you from handing in an assignment on time: see your professor. Explain the situation. In order to be a professor, some time ago we were also students; just like you! We understand that life is complicated and obstacles appear without warning and deadlines seem to move forward much faster than what we would like them to. So, we understand that students are stressed out and sometimes they don’t administer their time well.

Some suggestions for etiquette when you go to see your professor:

    * If the door is closed: knock.
    * Introduce yourself and the course you are taking: “I’m ….from your SP100* class.”
    * If there is someone talking to the professor, don’t interrupt. Wait outside the door, not too close.
    * If the door is open, approach the threshold and ask if you can come in.
    * If the professor has a bulletin board for messages and he/she is not there: leave a message!

Office hours are there for you to use! Use them wisely and use them often!

Mercedes Rowinsky-Geurts, Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University, and award-winning 3M National Teaching Fellow.

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