5 Benefits Of Getting To Know Your Professors

By Julia Dunn on July 6, 2016

They teach between 10 and 400+ students at once, they have their own research labs and projects, most of them have a PhD … and as a university student, they’re resources right at your fingertips!

Your college professors have tons to offer you. If you’re too nervous to approach them in person, even emailing them regarding your interest in connecting with them is a great move. Here are five benefits of getting to know your college professors (and how to do so):

1. Hear their story.

Your discrete math professor may have hated math growing up. Ask them about it!

Students can learn a lot from hearing their professors’ stories, namely in asking them how their interests have wavered or remained consistent throughout their life. You might have made assumptions about your professors that are far from true, and you may find that some of your professors have taken a nontraditional route to becoming a university professor.

This can be useful, as it reinforces the fact that students don’t have to have everything about their lives figured out all at once in order to land their dream career.

Image via Flickr

Professors can serve as reassuring examples of how taking a path different than the normalized one can still lead to success in different forms. In an environment such as college that pressures students to achieve excellence at all times, it can be refreshing to talk to a professor who took a year off of college at some point to gain work experience, or who dropped out of school because of personal hardships and then completed their degrees later in life.

2. Get advice.

Your instructors have been through so much before getting to teach at your university. Ask them about their past educational experiences, what opportunities led them to pursue their current field, and ask them what they enjoy most about what they do. Professors have usually been through rigorous training and lots of independent work as part of their graduate programs, and they can be invaluable sources of information. Many professors are eager to assist students who show an interest in talking to them, and through this avenue, students can get an edge when sifting through lots of different majors or career tracks.

3. Show them who you are (letters of recommendation may follow).

During the time you get to talk to your professors one-on-one, find ways to discuss your own interests and experience as it relates to your conversation. If your professor is a deep-sea life fanatic, tell them about your scuba diving trip down to the aphotic zone. If you write a lot of prose poetry, mention your interests to your literature professor. Professors love to know what their students are up to.

However, don’t overdo it; don’t cram a list of all your accomplishments into one conversation with your professor. You want interactions with them to be professional and relaxed, and verbally regurgitating your resume isn’t going to make you seem authentic. Connect with your professor on a friendly basis, and only mention your interests and activities when the time is right in the conversation (or if your professor asks).

The more often you engage with your professor, the better a chance you have of them writing you a letter of recommendation in the future (always a bonus).

4. Learn about the field.

Who better to talk to about your field of study than a professor who’s working in it? Students who aren’t sure what they want to major in should spend time with their professors as they enroll in different classes with different subject areas. Talking to a professor up close can help you choose which academic route is most suitable and interesting to you. Your professor may even be able to direct you to relevant internship or job opportunities relating to their field.

Image via Flickr

5. Work for them.

In addition to teaching lectures and seminar courses, a large number of university professors also operate their own research lab or conduct personal projects of interest that relate to their field. Some professors even take on undergraduate researchers as assistants in whatever capacity they may need.

The first step to finding out what your professors are working on is not only to attend their office hours, but to arrive a few minutes early or stay a few minutes late to ask what they’ve been working on lately. The more often you communicate with your professor in person, the more likely they’ll remember you and consider you a potential assistant for their research or other endeavors. Even working as an administrative or office assistant not directly working in your professor’s lab is beneficial, since you may be offered greater opportunities in the future if the professor notices your strong work ethic.

In short, you have nothing to lose by talking to your professors outside of class. It often seems scary to approach someone of such high educational status, but professors are humans and they remember what it was like for them as an undergraduate. Once you are able to reduce the anxiety of talking to them, you’ll find your professors to be enriching individuals worth knowing.

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